


Why?

by thebluehedgehog



Category: RWBY
Genre: Darkfic, Gen, Horror, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-03-26 09:24:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3845683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluehedgehog/pseuds/thebluehedgehog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Team CFVY are 3rd year students sent on a simple extermination mission. Something is off from the moment they land, and they must find out what happened, and why, while trying to survive and return to Beacon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Sunday

          Team CFVY leapt from the plane toward the village waiting below. They were on a mission, just four third-year students, responding to an extermination request regarding the recently-swelled grimm population; the situation was overtaking the capabilities of the residents. Recollections to a similar mission in their previous year contributed to their serene demeanor, it was just another job. The first step was to meet with the town's administration for a summary of the issue, then a walking survey to assess the threat. The first night would be about making a plan based on the current state of grimm along with abilities of the village, and settling in for the week; another vessel would arrive in six and a half days, the village being about 9 hours away from Beacon, for a full one-week mission. That was the original plan, with the assumption that they would be able to clear out the grimm and secure the landing pad so that they could be picked up.

          Coco landed first, standing up to the sounds of her teammates' boots hitting the dirt to her sides and back. Her shoulders rolled as she looked over her sunglasses at the buildings hobbled together around her. There were marks of attacks and repairs on some, but this was near the edge of the settlement.

_Walk to the center, administrators are cowardly, and meet with them first. Next, walk the village perimeter with the main defenders, hunters? untrained hunters? What natural barriers do they have? What could be built or carved to supplement them? What sides are the most at-risk? Move people to concentrate defense there. Third: Ditch villagers to split up and quickly scout for any immediate threats. Gather the team, eliminate the immediate threats, settle in, form a real plan with the team, then rest. Present the plan to the villagers in the morning, frighten them into accepting it "We've done this before . . . The Grimm will keep coming . . ."_

Coco's mental rehearsal of the plan took seconds. In that time not a sound was heard until Velvet spoke:

"I expected more of a welcome."

          Coco looked around, it was odd but it gave her no pause. Her torso leaned back as she turned to Fox on her right, her head twisting enough to catch Yatsuhashi lurking just beyond her lenses in her peripheral. She was about to vocalize step 1, getting to the administrators, when her mouth closed and her gaze followed Fox's over rooftops, up the height of the communication tower. The top was broken, hanging by a couple bent supports. She quickly spun, scanning the scene with more scrutiny, fleetingly noticing Yatsuhashi draw his blade.

"This isn't just quiet, " began Coco, when Velvet confirmed the second half of the thought and expanded it.

"It's silent. Empty. Desolate. No birds chirping, nor rodents scurrying. Not one voice, nor cooking pot, nor child's cry for parent or play."

"With the tower broken, the warning to not come, or adjustment to the danger level would not have departed the bounds of this town." spoke Coco, her demeanor having gone from simple business to a more subdued reverence for the - it was likely a tomb, or worse nothing remained and it was merely a relic of a fleeting human occupation.

"It also means that we cannot request a return transport, but even if we could, we still need to secure a landing space." Fox stepped forward, not a pace ahead of his leader, weapons already drawn. "What's first?" he asked, leaning his head back to Coco.

_Curses! This is not according to plan! The other one is garbage now. Garbage. Now I have to start over, and I have no idea what we are facing. They surely would not land if we cannot offer some assurance, ships are expensive, but if anyone is here, I think this village is likely failed. They would not be able to risk any non-ideal boarding situation. Could there be anyone left? Damn these plan wreckers, I do not even know if there is anyone to save, or if there are any grimm left. What is going on?!?! First, figure out was is going on. Need information for a plan. Coco, you are a leader. You can work with impromptu. You can be flexible. You can --- It sucks! I hate not knowing! Not having a plan! It isn't right._

"We need to figure out what happened. No early conclusions, only evidence. Is this the correct settlement, were the coordinates incorrect? The first step is to objectively assess the situation." barked Coco, breaking herself from her reverie. More collected, she started walking forward. "We remain grouped until more information is collected." she stated simply. The other three followed quietly, the pace of the group slow as each attempted to detect every detail of their surroundings.

 

* * *

 

          The team stopped behind Coco as the appearance of what must be the building of governing halted her silent march. There had been one demolished building, yet few bore not one mark of assault. _For an attacked town there sure is very little damage. No people, no bodies, no stains of blood smeared across the dirt roads. Actually, the roads . . ._ Coco looked to her feet then followed a trail behind them over the road they had traversed. _are packed smooth. Grimm dig in their claws for traction when they run._ Her attention was snapped back to the administration building, and the communication built upon it.

"Velvet. Get to the roof and scan the area quickly. Focus on any possible threats but continue collecting all the details you can see."

The huntress returned without any concerns regarding possible threats.

"In." Ordered Coco in response, "Standard hostile building survey procedure."

          At each major junction the team would split. First, into pairs from the main lobby, then alone down corridors. No door was left unopened, no cabinet not checked, but as each room was cleared everything was shut as though untouched. Locks were picked and relocked; silence was maintained. After two and a half hours the teammates met up one by one in the lobby. Coco waited until each of them gave an indication that no living being was discovered before speaking.

"Nothing, really? Not a corpse, nor drop of blood? Nothing of remote interest or out-of-place?"

In reply Fox, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet each shook their heads in turn, checking the response of the others.

"That's the first floor then. However, we have maybe three hours left of light, and will clearly be here overnight even if we call for a transport now." This was met with some general indications of agreement. "We could leave the rest of the building and survey small buildings for a camp, or scan the second floor then split up, with Fox checking the tower and us three roaming separately to get a better idea of where we could stay." Coco fell into a sit, indicating that she had been thinking out-loud, the two plans that most closely fit the original. She pulled out her scroll.

"Fox, check our location against the information we were provided, and known villages - if you have those pre-loaded. Yatsu, Velvet, we will look through all the notes we have, for any . . . _clues._ "

          Fifteen minutes later, they had assurance that this was the correct place, the job seemed straight forward with details, and the final communication was three days ago, not out of the ordinary. After checking that short-range communication was possible, they chose the second plan: scan the second floor for threats or obvious hints, then split up to check the tower, find food, water, and shelter.

 

* * *

 

          Two hours of light remained for the day; with no threats, nor indication of violence revealed anywhere in the administration building, the four split up. Fox climbed the tower, tasked with assessing the damage and keeping watch. Yatsuhashi, Velvet, and Coco walked down the residential street with the clearest view from the tower, shots or short-range scroll communication was the plan. The three of them began by entering buildings together, but after three without any threats they instead each went into a building alone as they progressed down the line.

          It was curious, those first three with empty cabinets, stripped beds, and decorations but no personal effects. _I wonder if the village over built and has furnished accommodations without residents. Strange, so close to the safe center of the settlement._ Coco had brushed it off lightly, but as she entered the first house of hers alone, it began to weigh in on her. In a bedroom she sniffed the mattress, opened a closet to find a sparse number of articles of clothing, and clean linens. _N_ _othing looks out of place, it smells clean. Clean. There is that too. No odor of rot or decay. The buildings seem maintained, though we had a message dated just three days prior_ _so that should not be unexpected_ _._

          Coco returned to the kitchen. Knives sat in a block on the counter, a fireplace was cleaned, not new, with no wood in the bin. She ran a hand along the counter-top, _clean, some dust._ Next were the cabinets; open, empty, shut, a pattern that repeated itself, her agitation growing as any find was merely pots or pans. She rifled through each of the draws, finding utensils, no drawer full, always just enough. She tried the sink, once again air churned through the pipes, emitting a grinding sound, eventually spraying muddied water in bursts. She hit the handle down, off, and left the abode.

          She had taken longer than the other two, judging by the open doors they had each gone on to their next. Coco did as well. Similarly, she searched the house. _Nothing. Emptiness. This place feels like a hollow lie. Lie? A Trap? Perhaps, but for a few third-year students? Unlikely._ At each closest, drawer, and cabinet, she wrenched it open a little harder and shut it even more-so. _This is starting to creep me out. Perhaps just this road?_

Velvet was waiting outside when Coco exited, Yatsuhashi joined from the tenth house. "Did either of you find any food, or water? Any sign of people?" asked Velvet.

Coco looked up to Fox, just to make sure he was still there, then shook her head turning back to Velvet. The other two similarly had nothing to present.

"I think there is a store or two up there, let's check that out before heading back to Fox." suggested Yatsuhashi, leading the way.

          Coco was first, walking up to the windowed door and smashing through to unlock it without hesitation, not even to see if it was locked. She strolled in, seeing what was very much a store, a store with empty, no, nearly empty shelves with the other two stepping in behind her. _Not empty, but close. Just like the houses. Almost a fake, but not quite. Perhaps the items remaining can spin a tale. Register, soaps, . . ._ Coco took an inventory as she walked back and forth, up and down each aisle. . . . , _cosmetics, paper, toys, home decorations, . . . , along with the same types of useful items found in the houses.  
_

"Yatsu! Check the register." she ordered, unsure if she expected it empty, full, or with just enough to make change, the partial fill that seemed to be everywhere. She checked her scroll for the time.

"Empty, just like everything else here." he reported.

"This place is strange." chipped in Velvet.

_Strange? Don't lie. Down right creepy. One hour, maybe a bit more with poor light. Maybe it is just this street. I can tell myself that and pretend to believe it. At least that is plausible._

"We are splitting up again." stated Coco, as she turned to leave. _Risky, but no dangers appear to be present. False sense of security to pick us off? Fox would see_ _it coming_ _. It is so quiet we could hear the slightest of tousle._ _Ha_ _ha yeah, even the slightest of walking changes._ Outside Coco stood facing Fox, who still appeared fine. "Velvet, you check the left street, from here until the tower. Yatsuhashi, the next one over. I will go right. Run through them faster this time." She glanced at them, checking that they had heard her and had no qualms.

_Those were produce bins. Empty, and dry. We brought snacks, but we expected some accommodation. A week here with everything devoid of food will be a bigger problem than the risk inherent in the more efficient yet less protected method of working separately._

          Coco walked down a cross street to the next road. A sigh escaped her chest as she once more assured herself that Fox was still on the tower, watching, and resumed her search. The buildings here were different, with more stores interspersed with the residences. _A business district, perhaps?_ There was a clothing store that had empty spaces, but was not cleaned out, a store for shoes that had boxes laying about but was not poorly stocked, and more furnished yet unstocked kitchens. There was even a restaurant, with a broken front window, upturned furnishings, and a desolate store room. Her handbag-weapon was growing heavy even as it was swapped between hands, as was her supplies backpack that seemed increasingly understocked. She had picked up her pace though, once alone, despite eager to flush out any detail that might prove pertinent. She reached the end of her road, where it was closest to the administration building, after 45 minutes. Velvet was walking into the vacant cross street about the same time, and Yatsuhashi was likely not far off from done, she could hear his heavier footsteps. _Damn this place is quiet._

Coco slowly walked toward the large, white building, looking up at the sky. _I think we have about half an hour, a quarter more than I accounted for. I suppose that is something good._ Coco looked up at the tower, then messaged Fox.

>How does it look?

"I sure hope you two have some interesting finds," started Yatsuhashi with a slight laugh, "because my street was just as boring as the first."

Velvet shook her head, her face seemed drawn in Coco's opinion. _Great. No food._

"Unless you are interested which buildings had damage versus others, and the minutiae of what things are around, mine was not anything more interesting. More shops though."

>empty streets, tower is bent, but looks like it was just hit 1x

>get dwn?

Fox had replied, Coco noted, checking the message and answering his question.

>Yes

Looking back to the other two, Coco inhaled before issuing further demands. "Do either of you have a map, or recall seeing one?" she asked.

Yatsuhashi shook his head, but Velvet stood straighter and spoke up, "Yeah, I think I saw something in one of the administration building rooms. It might not be it, or outdated, I don't know, but I can go grab it!" She seemed excited for anything that felt useful. Coco nodded and Velvet started to take off.

"Wait!" called Coco, louder than necessary as her voice sliced through the silence and echoed from structures' walls. "Did either of you find a place that looked more secure or better equipped than another?"

Velvet skidded to a stop just outside the building door. She shrugged and disappeared into its walls. Yatsuhashi offered a half-smile with his shrug.

"Fox's message was that the tower likely took just one hit, so it should not be terrible to repair." offered Coco to Yatsuhashi. "Want to start down the first street? It had more residences and is insulated by the rest of the settlement."

"Don't they all have just two rooms?"

"Drag mattresses from one to another? Put them all in the living room?"

"I can go pick a house to stay at and start with that. You can wait for the other two and see which house it is from here." offered Yatsuhashi.

Coco accepted gratefully and stepped forward to better see the administration entrance as well as the chosen street. Fox walked up just as Yatsuhashi departed.

"Did I miss something?" inquired Fox, looking from his leader, to Yatsuhashi, and back.

"He is going to grab mattresses from one house, and place them in the one that will serve as our base. Oh, and that is it. Seriously. Empty homes, empty stores, save for a few, and not one indication of food." Coco turned to look at Fox, her demeanor had soured since he had split from the group.

"Ah- oh." he responded, his voice lower with the second sound as the implication of her words sunk in.

"How about you?"

"Right! The tower was hit, hard, but it was not annihilated, so maybe by tomorrow night we can have it fixed? I can handle the wiring but you or Yatsu will probably be needed to bend the frame back." he reported what seemed to be the best news of the day.

"Any ideas?"

"On what caused it? Something strong hit it, from one side, angled," Fox was now facing the tower, leaning as if to match the angle of the attack, "only once and not with enough force to loosen the bottom supports or break it all the way off."

"A plane? Humans?"

"Too metal, strong, and hard to replicate with ropes." answered Fox, hesitating to give his assessment: "If I had to guess, a Nevermore."

"But there were no claw nor feather marks." he added hastily.

The two partners looked down the street, Yatsuhashi was carrying the second mattress. _I'm glad he offered. T_ _hey_ _are not heavy, but their size and floppiness is such a bother, height does have some advantages, although disadvantages as well._

Velvet jogged out of the building, with a large roll of paper under her arm flapping behind her, and a pen behind each of her human ears. "I'm still not sure this is it, but it might be and if not we can draw one on the back." she said with a smile.

Coco nodded to her before walking to the house Yatsuhashi had selected. Fox gave Velvet a smile and walked beside her.

 

* * *

 

          The map was spread out on the floor, encircled by their weapons and supply bags, rimmed by the four mattresses in the living room of a vacant house. The couches and tables had been discarded to a bedroom; sheets had be casually draped over each mattress. Wrappers from their packed snacks were sparingly littered around, remains from supper. The four students huddled over the map, the administration building already circled, as well as the place they likely landed - after a discussion that took more time than it should have. They were using a flashlight, the light from the sunset no longer enough to read by even if the room had had more windows. _Curse these people and their fear of windowless rooms_ _. So much less secure._


	2. Day 2: Monday

          Not long after rays of sun found their way though the window the team began to stir and stretch. Without a word the bag of remaining snacks was untouched, although each in turn checked that it was still there, not out of distrust but concern. The plan formed the night prior was simple: bend the tower back up, then let Fox repair the wiring while the other three each explored a different section of the village. Each had set a midday alarm, as without the tower it was likely their sections would lead them far enough apart that not all of them would be within range of each other; it was a time to walk within range and check-in, although the hopeful assumption included lunch.

          Together they walked one house down, toward the tower. The sound of water met their ears upon entering the residence devoid of mattresses. With trepidation they walked to the bathroom, Yatsuhashi and Fox stopped in the doorway after Velvet and Coco entered. The tap they had left on all night had begun to run clear. Velvet eagerly thrust cupped hands beneath the flow, pulling them back to show not clear, but a murky white liquid. Too thirsty to be terribly cautious, she gingerly sipped from her hands.

"It seems okay, a bit off in taste, something metallic perhaps?" she assessed, separating her hands over the tub. She looked to her teammates, wanting for confirmation that it was likely safe.

          Coco gave pause, _A chemical contamination? Possible. But no people, no bodies, no signs of illness such as mass graves or funeral pyres. Yet, we have not checked the entirety and additives could do something else._ She leaned forward to sniff the flow cascading from the metal spout. _Iron? Perhaps just from sitting in pipes, or one in the system is ruptured?_ She gingerly tasted the liquid as well. "It might be fine, enough for now. Let's not fill any canteens just yet and keep checking during our search." _If there is a break, then water from another main might not be dirty._

          Each of them took a turn drinking his or her fill before leaving the house with the tap left on. The tower was next, and it did not take long before the metal was not just bent back, but also reshaped. Leaving Fox there, the other three split up, each going to a different section of the village to methodically search for food, water, or any hint as to an explanation for the disappearance of all the settlement occupants.

 

* * *

 

At midday, they each made sure they were at, or stopped and went to, the portion of their sections closest to the tower, with Fox dropping to ground level. As each scroll in turn made contact, it was added to the voice call.

"Everyone is already here? Sorry to keep you waiting." began Coco after joining in.

"No worries!" chipped Velvet with a smile into her camera.

"I think the wiring is fixed." Fox offered. Coco saw his attempt to appease her, having made no effort to conceal her ire in tone nor expression.

"Yet we do not have a signal?" she responded quickly. The expressions displayed by Velvet and Yatsuhashi indicated that they either had not checked or had convinced themselves that the lack of calling strength was due to some other cause.

"Well . . . it seems fixed by all accounts, but I could not tap into the Beacon, Vale, or another settlement's network. I think we could still use it to boost a signal, though. I was thinking I could attach it to my scroll with a repeating message; with the increased range a transport will be able to pick it up and pass on the message to Beacon."

_If any pass through the range._ thought Coco, her cynicism forced to not display across her face. _It depends on how far we are, and if we are between Vale and another settlement. It assumes they will be tuned into that frequency and be listening. If they hit the outskirts of the signal will they circle closer to get the whole message?_

"That sounds good. Something along the lines of 'This is CFVY of Beacon at coordinates. Long-range communication is down, the situation is not as expected. No dangers found, circumstances unknown.' We should probably leave out everyone missing if we are sending the message out dark."

Velvet and Yatsuhashi expressed agreement, although there was a hesitation. _What about food? Water? Am I dooming my team to not request it? But to mention those is to release the information of a dead or dieing settlement to anyone. Perhaps if they were to respond, and a dialogue could occur?_

Fox had taken too long to respond, so Coco continued, "Can you set your scroll to relay to mine? I will stay in range in case contact is made, and you could take my section of the village. I would continue to check closer to the tower, and just a shout should be enough to alert the whole team to any developments."

This time Fox responded promptly, "Yes, I should be able to make that work."

"Good. Velvet, did you discover anything of interest?"

"I don't know. I did not find food, and the water is full of air here, but some of the building dam-" Velvet stopped upon being interrupted by the team leader.

"Yatsu?"

"Just about the same here. I was thinking of some other search tactics, to switch stuff up. I think any details I came across can wait until tonight."

Coco nodded into her camera. _This feels so slow, and my stomach is already gnawing at my patience. It will not be long before our ability to defend ourselves or figure out what happened begins to dissolve._

"Okay then. Keep going. I will meet Fox and switch off. Five more hours before we meet back at the house; I know the areas are large, but it will be the entirety of the inner region, so make sure you finish. Check your maps to make sure you are on schedule." They all signed off and went back to their duties.

          She had been referring to the photos each had taken with their scrolls of their respective sections. _I suppose I can show Fox where I have been, and he will be left to recall it on his own. Perhaps he can do a quick sketch of it from some stolen paper first. They are smart, and resourceful. They know to pace themselves. Was it too insulting? No, they are mature enough to handle it. They could take a glancing hit to let her feel a bit more control. This was not out of her hands, right? What had happened here? Why?_

"Hi!" Fox said, announcing his presence as he jumped from the building to his leader's side. "I have mine pinging already, let me set yours up to respond through it." He held out a hand for her scroll.

Coco spoke as he worked: "I can show you my section map and tell you what I covered, but it may be easier for you to sketch it out, lines for roads, on some paper from in there." _Why do I sound meek? Stop it!_

"Here." Fox vocalized his task completion, offering her the scroll. When he looked up to face his partner she pointed to the building. "Sounds good, I know the room with what we need."

 

* * *

 

          Coco had been spiraling from the tower for hours, walking slowly, checking her connection to Fox's scroll, and attempting to summon details previously missed from her surroundings. She had found the edge of the reception a couple buildings past their camp. While there she had drunk from the tap, having not felt any ill-effects, although the color and taste had not improved. Regret nagged at her as she did so, she had told her team to not take water with them, but they must be terribly thirsty, not that the ill-flavored water would tamp their hunger. Three hours in she reversed her spiral, now walking slower to scrounge up something _anything_ that might prove useful for survival, or explaining what had transpired. _Survival. That word is already crossing my mind. It is far too soon and yet not far off. We can survive a week without food, but not defend ourselves. How can we summon a transport out or secure its landing? No reply to the repeating message, but three hours is not long, it is too soon to be concerned about the reach of the signal._

          Coco kicked a box in frustration. Blinking, she looked around, having wandered into a dead-end alley she had not checked before. _The box was light, but something rattled, no - shifted from the movement. huh, I wonder. . ._ She knelt to open the box and look inside, with the opening pointed to her side wary of the possibility of an angered rodent. Inside was a box, it to empty, and two pieces of cardboard from packaging or another box. Curious, she looked around the narrow space, her gaze passing then resting upon a garbage bin. Her knees gave a small ache as she used just them to push her body back up, she bent to pick up her weapon, and walked to the bin.

tap

tap

          The metal can clanged mostly hollow, with a rattle against the lid dulled by the side of the building. Faintly Coco wondered if the sound had reached her teammates in this silent place. Cautiously, her hand reached for the handle of the lid. _Oh, right, silent. I suppose there are not even rodents in the trash if there is no sound of scratching or scurrying._ With her concern stilled she directly lifted the lid and peered in.

"Curious." she mumbled to herself, a hand that had placed her weapon down now reaching in without pause. Her search had located something curious indeed, her excitement erasing any last hint of caution. _Cans? Printed boxes?_ Coco let the lid fall to the kicked box, wincing at the sound when it slid off and hit the ground, eagerly diving both hands into the bin and tossing any item out that was deemed empty or uninteresting paper. The buildings and distance must have dulled the noise enough to abate concern because no shouts or messages were heard from her teammates. Her rash movements halted with sudden finality; the bin was not empty but what was left was not more than a single layer, each item of waste completely clean to the food that had previously inhabited it.

_Not a scrap, not a trace. Nothing to attract rodents yet nothing to nourish the three people looking to her for guidance, nor herself. Yet, people did live here. People who ate food. Food from the store? But what of the scraps? The fat of meat, the ends and peels of vegetables? No smell of rot or decay, not a scrap of sustenance. Yet people were here. What on Remnant could have happened? Grimm? No, too destructive and not methodical enough. If people did live here then things are missing. Taken? But why? Why?_

Reinvigorated although not quite as energized, she tore through the region that tethered her for any scrap of garbage. What she found was more of the same.

The light from the sun became more red as it lowered in the sky. A beep from her scroll surprised her, unexpected, exciting? _No . . . that sound was not the one for outside messages, that was the short two-tone sound from teammates._ Coco's shoulders lowered, as did her weapon, as she checked the device.

>It's 7 past, where r u?

It was from Velvet. _It seems they have already met up at the camp. They are awfully prompt. Tired? Hung- No, probably tired from not getting anywhere. I did not do any better myself, perhaps I should not say anything. I don't know._

>brb

Coco walked in to find her teammates each sitting upon her or his respective mattress. _Did they stop by the tap first? They finished that early? Oh, that canteen is wet. I suppose they did._ They were quiet, but she was fairly certain she had heard the incoherent sound of some conversation. She fell to her own seat, the map oriented to her spot. From it she looked to each of the faces, regretting the need to ask her question.

"Okay, so what do you have?"

          They started with Yatsuhashi to her right, then Velvet, then Fox. Each in turn seemed to summarize the day with the same findings as the previous afternoon. Fox varied the pattern, starting with the tower being good but not long, just to be thorough. Presently, it was Coco's turn to summarize before they went around again, with more discussion, to evaluate the more nuanced details.

_If you do not have anything nice to say, don't say anything. No point is saying the same stuff again, just wasting time._

_"_ Yatsu -" she began, breaking the pattern and with it the monotonous repetition. "Did you see any trash?"

"Umm, no?" responded Yatsuhashi, sitting up. _Clearly the break took him for surprise. Must have been the right call then instead of wasting time._ "I came across some bins, but there was no smell, so I took them all for empty and kept moving. Did -"

Yatsuhashi was interrupted by his partner, now very attentive. "Did _you_ find something?" asked Velvet, staring intently at Coco.

"No." she replied, adding the meaning of 'useful' to 'something'. "There was paper waste intermixed with packaging from food, cardboard and cans, yet not a scrap nor trace of what they had contained. Clean."

"Oh." remarked Velvet, her eyebrows scrunching together. "Strange. I did not catch anything like that on my search. What about you Yatsuhashi?"

"No. I did not check them, but I think we can safely presume them to be the same. I did not smell anything and everything else has been about the same."

"Fox?" prompted Coco, turning to the teammate not yet asked. She turned to him, and his facial expression suggested her mistake, that he may have been keeping quiet for a reason.

"I was just looking for food and water, with an eye out for anything odd. I know I am new to the search, but I have heard your reports and have seen this house and the administration building; nothing seemed to stand out as different, including the air-filled muddy water and lack of food in cabinets and stores." he drew a breath and let his eyes fall downward to the map.

          There was a quiet, the silence of the strange world they found themselves in crept into the room. They all thought about the words Fox had said, but have avoided themselves, and seemed to be waiting for _her_ to say something. _I need to say something, but what can I? What words would fix this? My silence regarding messages implies all that is needed to say, need I speak it all out loud, that we might grow hungry enough that we might never leave? Must I speak the works to make it real? No. I shan't. I trust these three with my life, with my hope, I will not disgrace them with assuming they cannot draw the same conclusions independently._

"Okay, my turn." she began, curving her lips to a smile as her hands pressed together. She took her time to lay out all the details of her search, both before lunch- the check-in break, and after. Once again they went around the circle, each detailing any small thing that caught the notice of a student, even a spot with peeling wallpaper. There was more conversation this time, similar items of note compared, mentioned details added in an early account and left out in their turn.

          Once Fox had taken his turn, Coco switched on the flashlight as darkness had taken over the room quite a while before. She started with a hand over the bulb but slowly released it allowing the map to reappear. The light twitched around the paper as Coco's attention directed her other hand to finding the pen, which she uncapped with her teeth before setting out to put an 'x' over the areas they had circled last night for the day whose light had now past. Coco did not speak, nor did her teammates, as she put a mark through each region, each stroke harder, each stroke closer to ripping through until the pen to paper broke a small hole in the second stroke of Velvet's area. That mark was made backwards properly, but for the last area, that of Coco and Fox, the pen broke through halfway down the first line. She dropped the flashlight, which caused the paper to break the heavy silence in order to put that hand on the map to hold it, the rolling light coming to rest, shining at Velvet's mattress between Coco's legs. The second slash for the final region found the pen stuck at the hole, but the tip tore through, continuing its fated path, the sound ripping through the hauntingly silent night like a scream.

          Coco picked up the light, and rolled her wrist so the center of the light traced the outer line of the searched area. "It looks like the outer ring of the village is all that is left. We need to be together, at least when checking the perimeter, which means we must choose - try to repair the tower or finish exploring the village." She looked up at her teammates, none speaking up for either plan. "I say we do the outer ring tomorrow, there has to be food somewhere. Even if we get the long-range communication up by midday, it would take until at least the night before anyone could get here, and with too many unknowns and darkness, likely not until the day after."

The small nods and hidden sighs she heard were acknowledgment of the difficulty of the decision.

"Okay, then we will go straight out, walk a section of the perimeter together, and then split up to walk inward for our search." Coco looked back to the map and started to mark the edge of the village. "How much do you think we can manage? We could do two go-throughs, with a short break between again."

After a short discussion, where it was agreed to try for a larger area, a full quarter of the outer ring, per round, with half for the whole day, Coco stood up content that they were feeling ambitious about their searching speed.

"Let's go get some water, and top off the canteens." she suggested, not quite feeling up to orders any more. _and then come back, eat the meager amount of rations we have left, just enough to make us hungrier but maybe allow us to sleep, then start off what is likely the most dangerous day so far without a bite. Just a fantastic plan._ She knew that the food was too hard to keep around, too tempting with her gnawing stomach, and not possible to leave for morning. _I think there is enough for a small pack each. Oh, that is about 200-300 kcal. for the whole day. haha what a diet._


	3. Day 3: Tuesday

_Day 3, the second morning we have woken up here, Tuesday._ Coco took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The sun had begun to light the sky, but the room was dark; she could barely make out the silhouettes of her teammates. Twas not the light that had pulled her from sleep, but the pain from beneath her short corset. Her hand, still under the sheets, slid from the mattress to her abdomen; hunger. She gave a soft moan of discomfort, sure everyone else was still asleep, and rolled over. _This is going to be a long day._

Just as her consciousness was drifting away she heard someone else stir, _Is that Fox? Or Velvet?_ Unable to place the sound, she waited, not yet ready to move. Yatsuhashi was next, the sound of him rolling to his front, propping himself up, and looking around was too distinct and recognizable to be mistaken. Coco willed herself to sit up, just as Velvet was coming back to reality. _Must have been Fox then._

Fox walked back into the room, and smiled when he saw everyone else awake. "Good morning." His voice was too cheery for Coco's taste. "The water is about the same, despite having run all day and night. Is the water plant on the map for today?"

Coco groaned as she stretched. "If it isn't we can just switch the side. I'll leave that section to you." She stood up, and offered a hand to Velvet; Yatsuhashi was already standing.

"Coco, " started Velvet, looking impossibly meek. _I thought I beat that out of her last year._ "I don't think I can wait until we find food." Standing, she had an arm around her middle, "I already feel slow."

Coco nodded. "I was thinking the same." She looked to Yatsuhashi, "Have you ever heard about being able to eat leather if it is boiled?"

Velvet seemed taken aback, she even stumbled, her feet caught in her sheets. Fox offered her an arm when he responded to Coco, "I may have, but it seems so impossible that that is all we are left with."

"I recognize that as well, but it would take time to boil, and is there any leather here?" replied Yatsuhashi.

"Yes, it would need awhile. I - I was thinking we could start it now, have someone run back to tend the fire at the break. In the meantime . . . " _This is such a ridiculous idea. How did this ever become real? It feels so distant, even now as we face it directly._ "We'll find something." she continued, now turning to Fox. "We will find some food today." _We have to._ "But just in case. However, I think we all need something now." at this point her hesitation must have be obvious, "I think the only option is to chew on the cardboard I found. Paper is biodegradable, and people have been known to eat it as a bad habit . . ." she trailed off, expecting an argument. Instead Yatsuhashi fully agreed, and the other two had nothing better to propose. _Hunger is a powerful force. Come on, PAPER? I've skipped meals for being over-cooked._

"Let's get ready for the day first. Yatsuhashi, are you alright to start the fire while we grab what we can find?"

He nodded, then glanced at the empty place for wood. "Would it be alright to just use furniture? I think we have established that no one will mind some stuff missing and it will be faster than looking."

_Because looking for anything has come up with zero of it, just some other stuff. So far. So far, Coco._

"Yeah, easy is for the best. I also recall seeing a clothing store, we can check that too."

 

* * *

 

Morning needs attended to, with their full canteens left in the house, Fox and Velvet followed Coco to the next road over, where she had seen the stores on the first day. _That seems so long ago, not just a couple days. Although, classes and Beacon feels nearly untouchable, from a time long since past. Hunger. Hunger is messing with your perception of time._

The untidy shoe store was just as she had last seen it, a detail that did not escape notice but was not unexpected. The trio walked in, stepping over strewn boxes or stray shoes. The banter between Velvet and Fox trailed off and the three of them each took to a different area of the store to look for leather shoes, or at least something that was not made of plastic or synthetics. _Just the thought of the chemicals that goes into making shoes causes me to shudder. It just needs to be enough that our bodies will grant us sleep tonight. But we don't really need this. We will find food today. Definitely. Right? right?_ Coco paused her rummaging and turned back to the room. She had tossed one box of leather boots toward the door, but there were a large number of synthetic designs. Looking around the room it seemed that all the shoes strewn about were mostly plastic, rubber, or polyester. _I suppose natural materials have become a luxury of designer shoes._ she mussed, as she continued pawing through boxes. _Even my boots are_ _synthetic_ _, for virtue of water/hunt proofing._

It was not long before the search was complete, Fox had grabbed a bag from behind the counter and gathered the shoes deemed _edible. Shoes, edible, what a notion._ Three pairs and an orphan was all they found, unexpectedly low but the strangeness of this place had ceased to be remarkable; numbness to the oddities, from exposure or hunger, perhaps both had settled into their minds.

"Fox?" began Coco without looking back as she led them to the clothing store. Something had been gnawing at her all morning, apart from hunger. "Is the only way to increase the distance of the message relay to fully repair the tower?"

"hmm? Yeah, it seemed that way. Strange, though, as the attack did not do more than split connections at the top, and all of that should be fixed now."

"I want all four of us when along the perimeter, and four for searching would be fastest, but someone needs to stay back to respond to any replies. I suppose if we must, it would be you to fix the tower? But at the base is too far, you'd still need another scroll . . ." Coco stopped herself, taking note that she was merely thinking out-loud. "Could we use another scroll as a relay point?"

"Well, I suppose we could, but it would not go much farther, and the battery drain might leave us without any-" Fox cut himself off.

Coco's thoughts filled in what was not said: _any way to request help when no one comes at the end of the week and we have found neither food nor batteries. Starting the electricity back up is far too much to ask of Fox._ Coco's cynicism was interrupted as her partner continued.

"However, I could change the message. I could add that we cannot reply until a specific time tonight, perhaps request a food drop if they hear the message and cannot wait? We would get their messages, eventually, just not be able to reply."

"I see. I suppose that is an option." _If anyone picks up the message, and otherwise waiting is wasting energy._ "But I want to keep the message short. Perhaps just say 'searching for supplies, can reply after 6?' What do you think Velvet?"

Surprised to be named, Velvet took a moment and was beaten by Fox. "Searching for food, Coco. That way they might drop some if they get it."

"IF anyone gets the message, assuming someone flies close enough and is on that frequency." spat Coco, spinning around to face the other two. Her frustration had mounted beyond what she could shoulder silently, it seemed.

"It is the most popular frequency, anyone from Vale will get it, and most likely Atlas as well." said Fox calmly. He and Velvet had stopped walking, Velvet had even put a foot behind her, ready to jump back.

"We're here." The clothing store stood beside her, and the conversation was halted, to the relief of all three.

Inside they found a strikingly similar scene, the racks that were not full were the ones holding cotton articles.

 

* * *

 

They returned to the house, greeted by a chimney expelling thick smoke. Fox carried the shoes, Velvet had a few clothing articles draped over her arms, and Coco clutched some unprinted cardboard. Yatsuhashi was mumbling to himself about the fire, the dark smoke having indicated some difficulty getting the flames hot.

"Fox, here is my scroll." said Coco, handing it to him ask he put the bag of shoes down. "Change the message to us being back by six, but try to keep it short. Yatsuhashi, with all four of us searching, we will not be able to immediately see or reply to any messages. Velvet, grab a couple of knives or a pair of scissors from the kitchen and start on the shoes. I'll grab the pot of water; Yatsu, is it alright if I borrow your sword to kill another table?"

The simple directions were accepted in turn. Yatsuhashi handed his sword to Coco, the only big blade they had, before continuing to coax the fire into hot flames. Shortly thereafter Coco returned, walking through the door sideways holding the sword flat, with a sloshing pot perched upon it, capped with an overturned lid that supported a small pile of fags, all leaning against Coco's body to discourage gravity from stealing her loot. She stopped in the doorway of the living room, unwilling the trip over bedding, and was promptly unburdened by Fox and Velvet. Coco walked to Yatsuhashi's mattress to put down his sword.

Yatsuhashi smiled at her, "You know that multiple trips is not the end of the world, right?"

Her face mirrored his mirth, _how strange that feels._ "It is during a sale. Leave something or drop it, and it is GONE."

Coco dropped to the floor and examined the map; the outer region they had marked was the side best insulated, but the water plant was on the other. "Looks like we are switching sides. If we run through quickly without a break we should cover the area in time." Coco started breaking that half into four parts, though not equal. "Fox, I will give you a small region, to help make up time for examining the water plant."

 So it was decided by leader's decree. Pieces of leather were put into the pot to boil over the fire, cardboard was split amongst the four, Coco would retain the scroll to which messages were being relayed, and thus be the one to stoke the fire in a few hours. Weapons and water gathered, the team set out to check the perimeter of this increasingly eerie settlement.

Coco ripped a small piece of cardboard from one of her "rations" and placed it into her mouth, biting down hard. Her jaw was beginning to ache from holding it clenched, coupled with her hunger clawing at her patience it overcame her disgust. They were traveling at a fast pace, already through the areas previously searched. _Food, not clues. Clues are good but you need to prioritize food._ In moments they had reached the edge of the village, protected here by a sharp downward drop. _Step one done. Step two is walk around half-way, then come back dropping people off in their sections._ At this point the soggy paper had begun to coat her mouth in a dry feeling, but was being chewed almost like gum.

 "Let's keep up this pace, maybe a bit faster. We will go as far as the large warehouse before turning back and stopping off at each of our sections." reiterated Coco. She was received with nods before they took off on a slow run around the edge of the cliff toward the wooden fence and gate. The drop seemed to be effective at insulating the village from any threats, even sounds of nature failed to stab through the thick silence that now seemed normal to the group.Nearing the half-way point along the eastern half of the perimeter, the drop lessened in depth, but a rock wall overshadowing the village began to take shape in replacement; the junction between was guarded by a tall wooden fence and gate, currently open to a grass clearing that gave way to trees. _I am beginning to fully understand why this village is so difficult to reach._

By the time Coco was nearing the inner area of the village from her own section a few details had come to mind in the absence of finding anything of immediate use. _This village is not small, and if these buildings were not vacant then many people were here, but are no longer. Where did they go? Why?_

It was time to check the fire, and messages. Given the lack of vehicles heard from the sky, she hoped there was no message waiting; _what good was it if they did not come to drop food? Could they even get the message too far away to hear the ship? The receivers were far better than that of scrolls, but perhaps Fox was being overly optimistic? No, he's been blunt so far, even saying what I cannot bring forth from myself. The scrolls just communicate with each other, that is why the distance is so short. They cannot use the tower for their signal. That's it._

When she reached the house, having attempted to run but restricted to a jog, the fire was almost out despite some wood still in the fireplace. _Furniture probably is not best, but the shoes are already treated with chemicals so what could it hurt?_ She piled her fags in, and with a piece of her cardboard coaxed it back to life. While leaning back, waiting to be certain it would not die immediately, she stilled her twitching hands and dared to check her scroll; it showed a signal to Fox's, but no messages. "Big Surprise."

 

* * *

 

The clouds had begun to glow orange. Coco was a little behind with her search, out of cardboard and water, and struggling to run between checking buildings and garbage bins. Her scroll gave her another half hour before she headed back, so she attempted to rally her leg muscles and hurry up.

At 10 after 6 she entered the house, the sounds of conversation prompting a sensation of longing; school, meals, people, it all seemed so far out of reach. Her teammates greeted her with smiles, but she smelled the now-boiling leather, not food. Her scroll had found no messages, and she tossed it to Fox as she entered the living room so he could adjust the message they had going out. A smile graced her face as she returned greetings to her teammates. No food was located, but the calm chat and lack of any dangers seemed to have improved spirits.

The four students attempted to chew on the leather once it had cooled, acknowledging that the cardboard was easier and had worked fairly well. More casually this night, they relayed the information each had gained. Most notable was Fox's report that there might be a leak in some pipe, but nothing easy nor worth fixing as they had become familiar with the taste, it had yet to do them any harm, and was a luxury as opposed to a need. Coco made no attempt to plan for the next day, instead allowing the conversation to drift towards stories and memories.


	4. Day 4: Wednesday

          Coco's gaze rested upon an untidy pile of cardboard that had been dropped on the map. Past that, past sleeping Velvet, was a fireplace, cold, with a pot sitting on charred wood. _The leather was an unfortunate failure, not even chewable. Too processed? The clothes hacked and torn into tiny pieces with scissors, knives, and hands at least gave them something to swallow, but the process to tedious, large bites nigh impossible, and it seemed to serve only to reawaken slumbering stomachs. Cardboard was the only thing that worked at all. Brown paper. The item by which tasteless food was measured, although I doubt many have actually considered tasting it._ She moved her head to look at each of her teammates in turn, noting that despite the sun lighting the room all three were sleeping in. _If only we could just sleep through the hunger._

          Coco pulled her scroll to her eyeline to check the time, squinting at the light. _9am, terribly late for these guys. Are they slowing so much that they need more sleep? I wanted to focus on the tower today, maybe getting a bit of a break from frantic searching (although the order and regiment had felt nice, a small consolation) while doing so. The tower is likely our only hope, but the time it would take for it to come, could we survive it? Technically it is a few days without water, a month without food, but not a week in and our defenses are falling. I read that after a while it stops hurting. Did I doom my team by suggesting cardboard and clothes?_

          She rose from her bed quietly, tiptoeing out to use the other bathroom, for the toilet and washing her face. _I suppose there is no reason to brush teeth that have not eaten, although the taunt of the paste without being able to consume it unscathed might just be torture._ She shook a feeling of dizziness from her head, holding the sink. _If the others ache and feel as slow as I, then today could very well be the last we are capable of hunting. It is a risk, a big one given the report of grimm, but we need something. A fight might even wake us up, if only for a moment. Something, anything so that this place stops feeling like the final slumber of starvation._

Fox was already sitting up when she returned, Velvet beginning to stir.

"What time is it?" asked a groggy Velvet, unlikely to be surprised if the reply was evening or the next day.

"Mmm I think around 9?" replied Fox, yawning as he stretched his arms.

          Yatsuhashi was the next to stir. Coco returned to her mattress, wrapping the sheet over her shoulders, and proceeded to stare at the map as the others got ready. She had not had the heart to wake them at 8, or 7, and 6 would have been cruelly early, yet she had been up, checking the time about every half hour. At some point she displaced the cardboard, tossing it to Fox's empty bed except for a piece she nibbled on.

_The opening near our landing point would make it possible for hostiles to follow us into the settlement, where we have some sense of safety for now, but it would be hard to bring back any luck from the other side given the natural drop and cliff-face barrier. What about that spot where the drop met the cliffside?_ Coco leaned forward, marking that spot with the pen. _It would still be difficult, if not impossible, and were our strength to fail us we would be without a shelter or what supplies we do have._ Her attention shifted back to the circle marking where they landed. Markers showed where the wooden fence was in relation to the spot, and the clearing was backed by a wooded area, the most likely place for game. Her decision cemented itself as her team settled back into the room, awaiting today's plan.

"We need to acquire food, and although we have not checked the whole settlement it seems that a more direct approach is now required. Today we will hunt, starting in the clearing. The opening in the fence would force any grimm to trickle into the village instead of stream in." she accentuated this using the blunt end of the pen to point at the relevant areas of the map. "The three of us will have a photo of this map on our scrolls for reference, we will split up into pairs but not wander far off. Fox, we will need another afk message." Coco tossed her scroll to her partner and stood up. Without waiting for any agreement or comments from the others she walked to the kitchen and picked out two knives, then wrapped each in a dish towel. After tucking one into her boot, she went to give the other to Yatsuhashi.

_These pairings should be okay, Velvet can sneak, Yatsu and Fox have quiet blades to kill, and I will be the lithe one in our pair. Velvet and Yatsu lack range though, but my gun will just destroy anything found. It is definitely best to keep Fox and Velvet separate, he has the best chance of getting something and she probably would have difficulty with it, especially if there is a rabbit._

 

* * *

 

          By 10 o'clock they were standing in the clearing. Winds blew through the leaves, the sound loud on ears that had not heard anything but their own voices and rustling for too long. They were still close enough to the village, though, that birds could not be heard. After agreeing to not stray far, Yatsuhashi and Velvet left the clearing and went right, while Fox and Coco turned left. _Stay close to the clearing, be ready for grimm, but search for food. Stay close to the clearing, by ready for grimm, search for food. At the first suspicion of trouble, fire into the air, scream, or call regardless of the possibility of the other pair losing a possible catch._

          Walking farther from the village but just out of sight from the clearing, Fox and Coco heard rustling. With a glance to the other they held still with baited breath, Fox ready to shoot lunch and Coco just a twitch from opening her gun and unleashing it upon a grimm. The shink of Yatsuhashi reading his sword alerted the frozen two that it was merely their teammates and that they had been spotted. Held breath released, Coco stepped forward. "Ha, looks like we need to go farther. Just be sure your scrolls are within range of ours, that should be within assistance range." The four smiled, then turned back the way they'd come this time in a wider arc.

          They had met the second time before any other sign of life, excluding plants, made itself known. Shortly after separating for the fourth arc around the clearing, Fox and Coco froze in place once more. A second howl broke through the silence, from a large beast. Coco's gaze looked to Fox just long enough to meet before immediately looking upwards, over where the other half of their team should be. Sparks fizzled through the leaves and with them any notion that they had remained unnoticed, or that food would be found before the grimm found them. Fox and Coco ran, as fast as they could without any consideration towards being quiet.

          Coco tripped. Her mind curious to what, despite urgency. _Bones? Something rotting off of them._ Standing up she saw the whole picture, _an animal, a goat perhaps? Or a deer? Not picked as clean as the settlement though._ She looked to Fox, a s he took off ahead of her. One last glance around was spared before following him. _Had I been so focused on finding movement and sounds that I missed the scraps of clothes around here? They seem so obvious now._ As she ran through the trees tiny blurs of colour suddenly seemed incredibly obvious.

          Despite their auras, Fox and Coco felt the limbs and underbrush tugging on their clothes. Coco cursed as a step took her path into a thorned plant that seemed to do well here. Her boots came up fine but it ripped through her pants. Merely two or three minutes after Velvet's signal the team was all together. Two boarbatusks were down, a third was cleaved in two by Yatsuhashi's sword the moment it came into view. Two beowolves, as large as average ursai, were next, one already engaged by Velvet. Around them all four knew this was not the end. Fox jumped into the fray, distracting Velvet's so she could use dust. Yatsuhashi stabbed his greatsword into the one before him. Meanwhile, Coco unfolded her gun, and stood ready to mow down the next wave.

Three more beowolves, even larger, came forth with four over-sized ursai. "Retreat to the clearing!" ordered Coco, as she started her gun. _Nothing, nothing, more nothing, then GIANT freaking grimm in grand numbers? How?!_

   
"Fuck."

  
          The seven before her were falling from the first spray, but only two were down for good. Her expletive was not for them however, but the squawk heard from above, and the feathers that had just launched. Coco fled to the clearing, followed by one beowolf and the four ursai, all now slower. _Two nevermores? That size? How is the village still standing? Why is it not swarmed? This - This could never be an extermination mission, eight full hunters would not be enough, they'd need a strategist, and air support, all assuming this is just the start. Maybe this was it. Maybe these 14 are all? Another Nevermore?! FIFTEEN?_

          Coco breached the clearing, running past her teammates who were sheltering from the feathers at the tree line. "Behind me!" The looked, perhaps it was unclear if that was an order of what their location should be, or if it was the location of more threats. Without clarification Coco aimed up at the approaching nevermores, hoping she could wait until all three were within shot. It did not take long before the other three saw the 5 land-bound grimm approaching.

          Yatsuhashi held his sword as a shield to block an ursa slash, Fox darted around the side to engage the second and Velvet was ready to unleash upon the third as Yatsuhashi moved to the side, letting the ursa that had swung a paw at him to stumble forward. Yatsuhashi brought his sword up, and down on the remaining beowolf, but an attack from the fourth ursa slashed across his back and threw him against a tree. The roar of gunfire ended its second sweep, the nevermores probably died in the first, but best to be sure.

"Retreat to the wall! I'll cover but there will be more!"

          Coco's words were shouted over the sounds of gunfire and nature that did not exist. _The clearing will be easier to fight in, now that the damn birds are dealt with anyway._ She looked at the rest of her group. The beowolf was down, and an ursa, but two more of the bear-like grimm remained. Yatsuhashi was using his sword to get back to his feet, Velvet was distracting one ursa by dodging, and Fox was getting a few hits in but expending most of his energy on not getting hit. _At least hordes are my forte._

"GO!"

          And they did. Velvet looked to Fox, who disengaged; the moment he broke the tree line she finished off hers and followed. Yatsuhashi took a swipe at the second ursa, which had tried to follow her, knocking it into the other before he took off himself, holding his sword over his back as their retreating shield. Coco let loose, nearly empty, focusing on the two ursai, but spraying a larger sweep as well in case anything was planing to jump out after she turned. There were roars and howls, the ursai may have been down, but there was definitely more of something around.

          Coco ran through the opening, Fox and Yatsuhashi already starting to slide the gate closed. _Just maybe, maybe this fence will hold, no more nevermores, maybe we can sleep tonight . . ._ She looked beyond the opening, ready to shoot anything that entered the cleared field, but curiously enough, she saw the eyes glow from the trees but not one left their cover.

The gate closed and the four looked at each other, each catching his or her breath. Yatsuhashi's breathing was different, he had one hand bracing himself against the wall and seemed to be gasping.

"Yatsuhashi?" her eyes searched him, resting on the bottom edge of his blade. A red streak graced it, a drop rolling down, and dripping off at his feet, where behind him was a trail from where the edge of the door had stood open.

Velvet screamed and ran to him, asking what happened. _We just got ambushed by an army of giant grimm in a place that has had no other life for days._

Fox looked at Coco, and words not spoken out loud passed between them. _My aura was shockingly low, I doubt the others are fairing any better. Without some food or help, he may not be able to heal at all._

Coco looked around, the buildings here did have grimm damage, they had noticed as much when they arrived, yet none of it matched the size of those met today. Here seemed to be more industrial, with warehouses, a factory, and a barn. _A Barn._

"Let's head to the barn to check him out. Fox, you get the door and check inside." Coco sprung into action, taking Yatsuhashi from the wall side and along with Velvet, helping him inside.

 

* * *

 

          Yatsuhashi was lying on the floor, his back exposed. The cuts were deep, four gashes cut across his back, mostly horizontal. The puncture was deepest, then the slash, and the rip from being thrown with enough force to pull the claws out. Velvet was in tears, sitting against a wall, not looking. Fox was using their four canteens to clean away the blood with Coco's scarf, giving her time to think through what was next.

"I will run back to our camp, as fast as I can, to refill the water bottles, grab the extra shirts, and any medical supplies. My weapon is the loudest, and I will check for any messages while there." Fox looked at her, meeting her eyes with the final phrase. _He knows. He knows I am doing my best to be the only one getting the messages. Could he assume any reason but the truth? That I have intentions to censor anything? Foolish ideas, the others would hear the ping, and any message at all would at least be something. A chance. Even if help would have to wait for the message to reach Vale or Beacon it would be something._

Coco looked to Velvet, unsure of what to say and opting for silence, before taking off.

          She returned as described, with a backback containing clean sheets and their small med kit, usually only good for villagers injures when accompanying an extermination, arms laden with stolen cotton shirts and shoulders with canteen straps. _Of course no alcohol was around, or medical supplies._ She had only checked their house and the one they were using for water.

          She and Fox stitched Yatsuhashi's back up the best they could; all three knew Velvet would have been a much better choice, given her hobby of making plush dolls, but Yatsuhashi would have to make do with Coco and Fox as Velvet was in no shape to be part of this. The medical kit had a needle and thread, but they had also emptied the disinfectant and no one spoke of his aura being too low to affect the injury. Velvet had mostly stopped crying by the time they were done, probably from exhaustion given the small whimpers still escaping.

          Coco and Fox sat back, finally having a moment to let the day's events sink in. After a moment Coco pulled out her scroll and handed to Fox. It was one, three hours since they had left the village _in how many days? Today is number 4._ A message had come in, it seemed that Fox had scheduled his to send a low battery alert.

"I guess the tower is next." stated Fox, looking to Coco for approval after he stood up. Velvet suddenly looked up, as if just now realizing they were still around.

"Yep, Velvet, you stay here as guard and make sure Yatsuhashi is" Coco paused. He was laying front-down on a hard dirt floor with no pain killers and four gashes in his back. "comfortable. We will leave the two canteens of water for you two." _and no food because clearly we found none. We could bring back cardboard, that would fix everything. Why was leaving a good idea? Why did we not start with the tower from the start?_ Her cynicism faded when she recalled how they were still expecting to find people at first, and had not quite grasped that there was zero to consume. _In no world with_ _out_ _time travel would any of that have been different, I suppose. Perhaps if we were less than 9 hours away from the city, starting with the tower would have won._

"Velvet, can we have your scroll? Mine sent a low battery warning to Coco's and her's is going to be the second most drained." Fox had already walked over to her while Coco was thinking. Velvet nodded, and handed hers over. "He's patched up now, Velvet. You can sit next to him if you like, we just need to wait now." Her hesitation had been plain, but his words seemed to offer a small comfort. Velvet nodded, but did not get up, and seemed to not trust herself to speak.

"We will get the tower working long distance, and bring back more supplies before dark." offered Coco, walking out and closing the door behind Fox.


	5. Day 4: PM

          Coco stood on the administration building, at two stories its flat surface rose above the peaked rooftops all around. The sprawl before her was grand, considering they had traversed a great majority of it, and the taller buildings that made up the industrial area could be spotted but lacked the clarity to pinpoint the barn. A stray gust of wind tossed her hair; mostly absent, the lack of wind had contributed to the silence, likely do to the natural barriers. Behind her Fox knelt at the base of the tower. He had already rechecked the wiring and was now replacing the beacon scroll and changing the message.

"Beacon Team CFVY. Ghost Settlement at blah blah numbers. Need extraction and food. One injured. Grimm heavy but avoid entering settlement." Fox read aloud, not asking for approval so much as opening the door for any changes.

          Coco voiced none, merely turning to face him and suggesting they move downward, checking for what might be impeding the signal. They broke through the roof access door and proceeded to weave their way through the building, attempting to follow the concealed wires. When unsure if they were still on track, they would break through the plaster low, and chip it upwards until they found the cabling which they could check by using Coco's scroll to find a signal although not directly see the message.

          The two were mostly silent as they wandered through the eerie building. _Why is this place so quiet? Why is everyone gone? Did they leave willingly? Why? No mass grave has been spotted, this settlement was built for trade not self-sufficiency; there are few places within the walls to dig, and the clearing is not dug up. I think they may have fled, but_ _they would not have_ _not made it far. There seemed to have been evidence to support that outside the wall, but if true they did not_ _get very far_ _. Why? Why leave at all? They had already requested help for the grimm problem, and knew it was coming. What could be so bad that they would choose that? Food? That could have been requested with the hunters. It also begs the question as to why the threat was not upgraded. The Tower? Perhaps it was hit by the nevermore and they could not? Thought we might not come as promised? But why leave? What could have enticed that. Hunger? Fear? Were the grimm getting closer, enough to hit the tower? Why?_

          Her repeating thoughts were shut-out when she and Fox, after some searching for where the wires had gone, found a door in a closet. It was dark, they could barely see in the closet, let alone beyond the door. The room, seemed to go down, cold air rising to meet them. Fox ran to there camp to fetch the flashlight, within 10 minutes he returned and shone the light down the stairs. _A basement? In a settlement? Without the digging equipment it was rare, far too expensive except where the ground needed to be filled in. Twas far cheaper to build on top, and spread out, hence the lack of multi-story buildings. Even cellars had lost purpose when dust-mechanical ones proved cheaper to transport or manufacture than digging._

          The two reached the bottom of the cement stairs, each gave a small shiver; there was a chill from a lingering winter, and hunger has a tendency to make one colder to begin with. The door was metal, cool to the touch, painted white. The lock was fixed in place, a two-sided, keyed knob likely the only culprit. _Are there answers in here? People? What is that smell, it is slight, captured in this stairwell? Did it leak from this room?_

Fox took initiative and slammed his fist on the door in tight succession, the sound echoing in the stairwell and likely through the whole building. "Hello? Is anybody there?" No answer.

Fox and Coco slumped to the second stair, sitting down on the cold surface. "What now?" asked Fox, looking to Coco.  
  
"I don't like this. Something feels incredibly off."  
  
"I know. Recall that the wires led us here, the tower is fine and this door is locked."

"Are you - Are you suggesting what I think you are Fox?"

"Yes, local messages can be transmitted but the settlement is cut off from the outside world. The damage likely lies in a locked room that appears to only have the single entrance. I think the lines were sabotaged, cut if we are lucky, in the very room before us. It would have been 3-6 days ago, based on our last received message and arrival." He waited a moment for a response, but hearing none he leaned back.

_What happened? If this is the last stronghold it might have some food, or people. No one answered. Dead? Left with everyone else? Could it have a tunnel? Highly unlikely. Is this where it began, or ended, whatever_ it _is? What would they find behind this door? Salvation or their end?_ Coco's thoughts bubbled up, and she let them, storing or striking them down in turn. Finally she came to a decision.

"I do not think I want to see what is in there without the other two. Something is off, many things really, the whole secret-door-to-a-secret-basement is downright creepy on top of a heaping portion of other suspicious details." Coco glared at the door as she got up. _Is this door, and what it conceals, our enemy? The answer to why we are here to starve? Could it be worse? Something laying in wait to finish us off? Worse than that, could it be nothing, a room without answers, without the damaged piece of communication to send a signal?_

Fox stood up as well, they closed the stairwell door and closet behind them, hoping that whatever was there would simply wait for their return.

 

* * *

 

Coco and Fox arrived at the barn, each bearing a backpack. They had collected clean sheets, a few pillows, more cardboard, filled their two water bottles, and packed the flashlight. _The sky is turning, it will not be long before twilight, perhaps an hour._

"Hi!" Velvet greeted the duo, bouncing to her feet. _She seems to be doing better. What about her partner?_  
  
Coco smiled and handed Velvet the pillow she had brought. Fox greeting Velvet more warmly, letting the pillow he carried fall and wrapping his arms around her and the pillow she held.  
  
"It is good to see you Velvet." said Fox before releasing the brief embrace. He slid off his backpack, a pillow protruding from the top, as with Coco's.  
  
Velvet smiled at Fox, then looked to Coco. "Four pillows? Are we staying here tonight?"  
  
Coco shook her head, placing her pack on the floor. "No, someone needs to be with the scroll closer to the tower, but I don't was to risk moving Yatsu just yet. I was thinking Fox and I would go back, and you could watch over Yatsuhashi for the night. It has been a few hours, it looks like the grimm have no interest in finding us, content to wait."  
  
"Oh, I suppose that makes sense." Velvet seemed a little saddened by the proposal, but said nothing against it. She perked up a bit and starting asking about their afternoon. "How was the tower? Will the scroll last another two days? Did you find anything?"

_Food, that last word she is looking for is food. Interesting, no- sad, that she did not ask about any messages. Perhaps I am not the only one feeling discouraged. No, it would have been the first thing we said, or would have even sent a message to Yatsuhashi's scroll ahead of us. Not speaking of it says enough._

Fox was the one to reply to Velvet, "Whoa, whoa. One thing at a time." He smiled up at her from his squatted position, "Let us unpack and get comfortable, then we will tell you **both** what happened."  
  
Looking to Yatsuhashi Coco noticed he had been moved, just a body width, onto a bed of straw covered in a single sheet, the second resting over him. "Is he sleeping?"  
  
Coco's question drew Velvet from any further engagement with Fox."Yeah, he fell asleep shortly after you left, then woke up for a bit and seemed okay but dozed off while I was reminiscing on the trouble we got into as first-years." Velvet looked back to him, his sword just over an arm's reach from him. "I am surprised he can sleep like that, forwards and without any painkillers. I had made the bed after you two left, and helped him to it when he awoke."  
  
"Did he drink any of the water?"  
  
"A little, not much."  
  
Fox tossed his water bottle to Coco, and she handed both to Velvet. "These two are full now, so they will stay here. We brought some more of the cardboard, it seems to be helping a little."  
  
Fox had emptied his pack, and began making a similar bed for Velvet using more of the straw. _Bedding, not hay. No animals and this place smells clean._  
  
"How about you rouse Yatsuhashi, Velvet? He should probably drink some more too." proposed Coco, walking away to assist Fox.

          It was not long before the supplies were laid out, the pack from the morning stuffed into one of the new packs, and all four sat around in a circle. Yatsuhashi was leaning forward, supporting himself by resting his arms on crossed legs; an empty canteen laid beside him. Coco turned to Fox, allowing him to begin their tale.

"We switched out the scrolls just fine, and yours should last about two days, maybe a bit under." Fox began by replying to Velvet's earlier inquiry. "I lengthened the time between messages slightly, so without much change we can squeeze a bit more time from the battery. That, along with Yatsuhashi's in a couple days means that we can easily get the signal to last until the latest time someone would come looking for us specifically, Saturday."

          Fox's grim bluntness hung heavily. _I_ _f Beacon_ _waits_ _before having someone check in the batteries really might not last long enough._ Yet, regardless, the hope of a distinct end was present in his report and with the bluntness likely held more weight than it would have without as a result. Fox looked to Coco, and she nodded, taking no initiative towards telling the story of their search for the long-distance problem.

"We followed the lines through the building, leaving a mild trail of destruction as they snaked through the walls." Fox continued, and inclined his head toward Coco on the word 'destruction'. "Which eventually led us to a closet, and a door within it that concealed a stairwell downwards."  
  
"Which led to another door." Coco taking his sentence pause as an opportunity to take her turn. "It was locked, cold metal, and the whole area, closet down, seems to have been untouched at least since our arrival. However, " here she paused, meeting each of her teammates' eyes in turn, Fox's last. "We did not force it open."  
  
"Why not?" Yatsuhashi interjected without delay, Velvet echoed his words half a beat behind.  
  
"It was spooky." supplied Fox, who noticed Coco nod beside him. "We thought it might have been a place some people took refuge, but there was no answer to our knocks. The sound echoed and the steps were concrete, it must have been a fairly large basement, but for what purpose?"  
  
"I sounds silly now, but we agreed it was a full-team job. Something about it just felt off. A door in a closet? A basement despite a two story building in a settlement with so much room?" Coco took up the mantle, trying to help the other two understand why they left their potential salvation un-searched. "Fox said the damage must be down there, given the only damage to the structure containing the wiring was what we inflicted today."  
  
As Coco stopped to let the words sink in, Velvet began to protest. "Then why not -"  
  
Yatsuhashi reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder. "Think about it." he urged.  
  
Seconds later Velvet's face lit up with recognition before falling down. _A locked door, down stairs whose entrance was a_ _locked_ _door guarded by a closed closet; and entrance missed by them on their first, and most thorough search in the entire settlement._  
  
"We decided to wait and go as a group, when Yatsuhashi is well enough to go with us." reiterated Coco, her voice quieter.  
  
Velvet conceded with a nod. "I suppose it makes sense, safety first."

_And why would anything important, well food not just the possible communication fix, be there anyway? Someone must know about it if the communications systems are in there, and all other sources have been thoroughly depleted with great intention._

          They talked a little longer while chewing on cardboard, finding comfort in some noise and companionship, until Fox yawned. Coco had just suppressed her own, and realized that she could barely make out the shapes of her team. "Looks like it is time to wrap up. Velvet, can you hold the flashlight while Fox and I check Yatsuhashi's bandages? I know where I put that, get your water bottle Velvet; well will leave the two full ones here. Fox, a clean sheet and the medical kit?"

          The three of them found their supplies and gathered around Yatsuhashi's bed after helping him lay back down. The bleeding had stopped, except for the few dried spots peeled off with the bandage. Velvet made an odd noise, but did not step away, finding the strength to hold the light steady. Coco tossed the soiled scraps into a corner as Fox tore the sheet with the knife Velvet had taken for the hunt. Together he and Coco carefully cleaned Yatsuhashi's back with rag-shaped pieces and water, before rewrapping his back. After ensuring he was comfortable, Coco held the light for Velvet to get into her bed, and Fox placed the water bottles they had brought between the beds. Coco slung the pack with a pack and the empty canteens inside over a shoulder, they all said their good-nights, then she and Fox departed.

It was much later than she had expected, but not a problem. There was a chill in the air and stars shone overhead, both indicating a cloudless night. The moment they were out of the industrial district Fox spoke.

"Did you notice?" he asked in a whisper.  
  
"Yeah, I was hoping that you had not."  
  
"It scabbed some, but there was no noticeable healing."  
  
"Could it be a poison? Is is aura so low and not regenerating . . ." she trailed off, their voices still hushed to avoid being carried back. _because of hunger? Because_ I _failed to plan and pack enough foodstuffs? Would poison be better? We have nothing to fix that either, and_ I _suggested we try hunting. What a brilliant idea Coco! Let's wander outside the creepy village and play in the woods near its only entrance despite being here to exterminate a grimm threat. A grimm threat there is little evidence of, or was without leaving the village._

"I am not sure Coco, and guessing won't help. I altered the message to reflect our team's changed state, so anyone who gets it will be able to assist."  
  
"If they get it."  
  
Fox stopped and put a hand on her shoulder, looking now he could see her back and shoulders bent forward. The light of the flashlight turned as she stopped to his touch.  
  
"Saturday. Three more mornings. That is when we were expected to clear a transport at the latest. That's it. Just three more at the latest before someone should be here." he said sternly. _Is he trying to force me to be more optimistic?_  
  
"Except we were expected to clear the transport to land. An extra day or two might not be a surprise."  
  
"We are CFVY, we get stuff done. Late is unusual, and we would certainly notify base about it. We also make good reports, they could very well have already sent someone to check into why we have not sent a thing."  
  
Coco tried to smile at her partner, but she could feel the grimace likely showing with it. _He's not wrong. I do hope he is right, but can I believe it?_

          They entered the house together, Coco tossed the pack on the kitchen counter and pulled out her scroll. She wordlessly handed it to Fox before tossing her canteen on her bed. Not a minute later she took it from him as she passed to wash her face and use the other bathroom. When she returned Fox was already in bed. _It was probably rude to take the flashlight with me, but he seems fine._ She entered her own without a word, unable to utter the familiar phrase "good night."


	6. Day 5: Thursday

          _Once again the sun has risen, once again breakfast is water and cardboard. Still my stomach begs for anything more, threatening to claw its way out to search on its own. How many days has it been? Does it matter? No, not really. Just sitting up has my head swimming, but I cannot show it. I need to be steady for Fox and the other two. Yatsuhashi, I wonder how he is. Messages? None. No surprise. Remember, stay positive, optimism, we will not be here forever. We will leave, unless we don't, NO! Optimism. Happy. Control. I am the leader and I can fix this. Stretch, pee, wash face, then finish the cardboard. It is something. It will help. It is all we have. Even with that first alley clear of clean cardboard, there were others, there is plenty of this one last thing. Just a few more days, at most. Fox was right, someone would notice the lack of updates._

         Coco returned, dropping another load of cardboard on the map, this pile larger than in previous days. It was a subtle acknowledgment of the situation that this was the only thing to consume apart from the murky water. Fox was making the four beds, having presumably preformed his morning routine while she was digging through trash.

"There is another sheet at the barn, yes?" asked Coco, not mentioning the messages not received, her only indication of their status.  
  
"Yes, do you want to redo the wrapping again?" Fox was putting the finishing touches on Yatsuhashi's bed, the last one. _I suppose this room does look less like a dump of supplies now._  
  
"I want to see if some of it healed by aura, but that might be selfish. If it has not been, rewrapping so soon might just be a risk."  
  
Fox turned to face her, sitting on the bed he'd just made. "I'd like to see that too, but you are right about rebandaging. Let's see how he was over night, they might need changing anyway."

They left for the barn, not carrying any supplies save for the cardboard and the filled water bottles to replace the ones left for their teammates. Voices from inside filtered out of the barn, two voices speaking amicably.

Velvet and Yatsuhashi turned to the other pair when they entered. Greetings and pleasantries cut through the silent village and even their increasingly stoic leader's face softened. As the small talk trailed off, Coco set them on their next course.

"Velvet, how about you take a break? Walk around outside, stretch, whatever. We brought more water and paper." Coco held the full water bottle and some of the cardboard out to Velvet.  
  
"Ah, thanks. That's a good idea." A small groan as Velvet stood simply seemed to be punctuation on her agreement with her leader. "But, my canteen still has some, so I'll take that instead." she said with a smile, picking hers from the night up and shaking it.  
  
"Alright" Coco replied, handing two pieces of cardboard to Velvet as she left. When she looked back at the other two, Fox was helping Yatsuhashi finish the second overnight canteen.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked, kneeling beside Yatsuhashi.  
  
"Not bad, my back hurts but otherwise okay. You two aren't hurt, right?" Yatsuhashi handed the empty canteen to Fox as he spoke.  
  
"Yes, we're fine, you were the only one they managed to swipe."  
  
"I really should be more careful." he responded with a chuckle. "I feel like I was hit in the stomach too, do you have anything to eat?"  
  
Fox immediately produced a rectangle of cardboard and offered it.  
  
"Cardboard? No food?" ask Yatsuhashi, looking to Fox.  
  
"No. No one has replied to our messages yet, and no food drops." the leader answered for Fox, looking at him before Yatsuhashi turned back to her, attempting to silently show her concern to her partner.  
  
"Ah, right, right." nodded Yatsuhashi. He rolled his shoulders a little and smiled again, "This is taking a while to heal, they must have been really deep. Do you two think my aura will heal it faster if I sleep some more? I feel kinda tired."  
  
Coco attempted to return the smile. "Maybe, but I want you to try to eat a bit of the cardboard first, it will help your stomach."  
  
Fox handed it back over. "I think while you do that, we will take a look at your back, okay?"

         Yatsuhashi nodded and the other two set to work. Fox cut the existing bandages, while Coco grabbed one of the new water bottles and the clean sheet. She almost dropped them both when she saw what was beneath the bandages. _It looks the same, more scabs, but not at all healed. Is it worse? It looks raised, and red. Redder? They were not terribly deep, they would not have hit too much of importance. Why is his aura not doing anything? Is there not enough of a spark to close them if not heal? Or at least make them not get worse? Food? Was that it? Was it her lack of packing that was making this injury, light enough to be brushed off with aura as a shield, suddenly so terrifying? What could she do? Hunting was no longer an option, not with their auras as low as they were a day ago, and why would they be better now? Are we past sleep being helpful? I feel so tired. My hands keep shaking. With those grimm, would we be able to hunt there anyway? The fighting would scare anything off, and there were so few signs of life even outside the walls . . . Plants? Grass would likely just make us sick, as the leather had threatened to do if we could have managed to eat it. Such a foolish idea, too many chemicals in the processing._

"Coco?" Fox interrupted the thoughts racing through her mind. "The water?"  
  
Without a word she fell to her knees behind Yatsuhashi, behind those devilish marks that bore into her worst fears, fears that she was desperate to bash down and bury. _but not bury, no graves, we will live, survive, I can lead the group out of this. I have to._

         Fox cut a rag from the sheet and handed it to her. His gaze lingered on her face, he waited, not immediately releasing the fabric. _Does my face betray me? Is he tempted to trade tasks, shooing me away to cut the sheet?_ She wet the cloth, put the canteen down, and reached for Yatsuhashi's shoulder with her now empty hand, her other pressing the cool, moist cloth against his back. _Warm, sticky? Sweat? Was the bed too warm?_ Her arms held still as her eyes looked to Fox. _Had he felt the same? Was it from sleeping or a fever? Maybe he could walk, maybe they could take him to a house with a tub. No, not for a fever his body would try to compensate for the colder temperature and get worse. But maybe it is fine, maybe it is just sweat. People with aura don't get sick, remember? It is okay. What if it isn't? What about Velvet?_

         Coco quickly looked to the door, then turned back to Yatsuhashi, attempting to work quickly without sacrificing care. _She can not see. She cannot know. She shall not know. She can't find out._ It was not that the absent teammate was weak, but that she drew her strength as a huntress from emotion, from wanting to stop people from getting hurt.

"You were right, Yatsu." Coco smiled, taking a deep breath slowly, to avoid the sound. "It looks like it is starting to heal, it will just take some time since we let our auras get so low, and it was deep." Her hands worked to wipe the sweat from his back, and cool it down slightly. "It is already working, they are starting to close. I think we had better leave the stitches though, in case you have to run or something, to help them not reopen."

         Fox moved in her peripheral vision, but she dared not look to him. _He must be done with making the new bandage. That is all. Perhaps he heard my voice quiver, or saw that my mouth smiled for my words but not my eyes. Perhaps he just did not like that I said the wounds had been deep. Yatsuhashi did not though, I cann- will not allow that to happen. Perhaps Fox saw what I did, he can think whatever he likes, but not Yatsuhashi. Just leave it be Fox._ Coco dried his back, and moved out of the way so Fox could wrap it.

"Did you finish breakfast, Yatsuhashi?"  
  
"It tastes like cardboard."  
  
Coco's body pushed air through her smile, not forced this time. "Yeah, are you surprised? Just tear it or chew it. It will make your stomach feel better."  
  
"I know, I am, you said that already."  
  
"So I did. You said you were tired, right? Once Fox is done you can take a nap. That should help your aura heal you some more."  
  
"Yes, alright."  
  
"I think I will stay with you today, does that sound good? You have probably exhausted all of Velvet's stories by now. I will go get her while Fox finished up and you lay down, okay?"  
  
"Mmm hmm" sounded Yatsuhashi with a nod.

Coco stood and walked to the door. She had not met either of their faces, she could not look at them right now. Her hand shook slightly, but she stilled it as it reached for the door.

         With the door closed behind her, Coco looked up and down the street, to be sure Velvet had not returned. Once satisfied she drew a shaking breath and dropped to a squat, her arms wrapped around her legs. _In and out. Inhale, exhale. Be strong. Be the leader. Survive. Survive this and get back to Beacon. In and out. Inhale, exhale._ Her mouth was open, her body seeming unable to breath with just her nose for the moment.

_Stand. Stand up. Stand up, find Velvet. She and Fox can go . . . I don't know, look for food in a place devoid of anything remotely consumable except for cardboard? Oh, there is the other half of the outer ring. That would give them something to do._ Coco snapped out of her thoughts and sprung up, a hand reaching back to the barn wall as she waited for her vision to return. _Stay calm, stay steady. Your team needs a leader. Be strong. Find Velvet._

 

* * *

 

Coco returned to the barn with Velvet, the latter appeared refreshed. Fox was sitting quietly beside Yatsuhashi, who was laying on his front, possibly sleeping. Fox stood and met them halfway, not speaking until they were close.

"Is he sleeping?" ask Velvet, vocalizing the question Coco nearly spoke herself.  
  
"I'm not sure, but he should be close by now." answered Fox, his voice hushed.  
  
"The plan for today is for me to stay here, while you two check the other half of the outer ring. It is still marked on the map, just follow the same procedure as last time. I think it will be free of grim, more guarded than this side, but don't get caught unaware, okay?"  
  
Fox and velvet nodded in response.  
  
"It will take longer, but you two know what to look for, so I think you can cover it in a long day. When it starts to get dark, head to the house, grab the flashlight, another clean sheet, fill your water bottles, and come here. That will give you an extra hour, I think."  
  
"Shouldn't we all check in around midday? Just to be sure?" asked Velvet, looking to Yatsuhashi.  
  
"Yeah, how about I meet you at the house around 2? I can check for messages then. Velvet, you should take Yatsuhashi's scroll, to keep track of time and so I can reach you. When you two make your plan, be specific Fox, so Velvet can find you quickly at 2 or for anything that comes up, okay?"  
  
"Yes"

"Understood."

         Once they left, Coco sat on the cool floor and sighed. _Yatsuhashi is definitely sleeping now. He is getting worse. His words, they were out of place, odd. Velvet must have noticed. Did she just refuse to acknowledge it?_ She crawled to Yatsuhashi and carefully touched his forehead. _I feel cold with hunger, but I am fairly certain he has a fever. Were those cuts infected? What do they need? What can I do? We never learned about that, I suppose that's only a problem for people without aura. Why? Why is this happening? WHY?_

         Coco checked her scroll, 15 to 10am. _I suppose we are all getting up earlier now. As tired as we feel, our bodies seem to be pushing us to go find something, anything, to consume. Slow down! Try Harder! Those conflicting demands just tire us more. Four hours until the meet. He seems to be sleeping soundly._ Coco stood, slowly this time, took a piece of cardboard to quell her hunger pains, and went on a short walk, looking for anything they might have missed when they first searched but remained close enough to hear any loud noise that might come from the barn.

 

* * *

 

         Apart from a flat above a small warehouse that must have been in one of the others' areas, nothing was remotely noteworthy. She returned to the barn after about an hour. She sat and waited, within 30 minutes Yatsuhashi began to stir. Coco was not surprised, he had likely slept the night and cardboard could only do so much to suppress the hunger.

"Hey"  
  
"Hey" echoed Yatsuhashi, turning his head to smile at her. "How did you convince Velvet to go?"  
  
"Magic."  
  
"Funny. What are they up to? The basement?"  
  
"Oh dust no, I sent them to check out the last quarter of the settlement, the other outer ring."  
  
"So far . . . " commented Yatsuhashi, his voice trailing off.  
  
"Are you thirsty?"

         Yatsuhashi pulled his hands close and started to push himself up. His head free from the floor he shook it lightly. It was a challenge, she could tell, for him to sit up on his own, but she hesitated to help. This strong man, nearly a fully fledged hunter, forged with the strong will needed to be accepted as a teammate under Coco's leadership. He did manage it on his own, sitting up facing her.

"My aura is not healing it at all, is it?"

Coco was taken aback by the blunt question. Her hesitation as her torso leaned back said more than she ever intended to reveal. "It will, rest will help it regenerate. The scratches are already healing and they are not too deep, I doubt they hit any organs."

He did not further the conversation, and she did not force it. They sat quietly for a while. After some time had past Yatsuhashi broke the silence.

"Do you have any more of that cardboard?"  
  
"Yeah." Coco smiled, and leaned over to reach a piece for him and herself. "Here."  
  
Yatsuhashi chewed on chunk, while Coco ripped off smaller pieces and swallowed them. She pulled the water closer.  
  
"Coco? Tell me about how we met."

She put down her cardboard and told the story. Her mouth felt dry, her eyes wet, her smile from the memory real. She did not question the request, Velvet had likely been reminiscing with him unprompted.

"You will protect Velvet, right? Make sure she survives and makes it out of here?" he asked, a short moment after the story concluded. He had been active in it, adding his own details and laughing.  
  
Coco nodded solemnly. "Yes, of course. All of-"

"Good." he interrupted, not allowing her to state her lie. The word left his mouth just barely before he bent forward, his forearms pushed against the floor, as his chest heaved a string of coughs. Coco was at his side at once, a hand placed on his upper, unmarked, back. It lasted a minute, the only thing to leave his body was the cardboard he'd been chewing and a little spit. She offered him a water bottle as he sat back up. In turn he gave her a smile.

"Just make sure she gets out. You and Fox too."  
  
"Yatsu, you can-"  
  
"Coco" he began, interrupting her again. "I can't see."  
  
"What?" Coco's voice suddenly raised above the quiet voices they had been using. Returning to the softer volume she took a deep breath and rephrased, "You'll be there to help me. We-"  
  
"Without an aura I am just a normal person. Normal people don't survive grimm attacks without a hospital."  
  
"You have an unlocked aura." Coco insisted. "It is there, it's working, it's just slow." Tears began to moisten her eyelashes, but not yet her face.  
  
"Coco" said Yatsuhashi, resting a hand on her leg. "I have a fever. My head hurts, my back is numb, I cannot see. I could barely keep up with your story."

"Yatsu . . ."  
  
"Leave me. Let go and leave me here. You guys can check the basement and get the tower working."  
  
"No. I won't. It probably won't work anyway. The people would have tried to fix something like that, it is probably not something we can do." She let her fears surface into words in a desperate attempt to destroy his reasoning. Her tears followed suit.  
  
"But it is something, Coco. What day is it?"  
  
"I don't - umm, Day 5, fourth morning . . . Thursday?"  
  
"Do you think, that in this state, I can manage to live for another 3 days?"  
  
"Yes!" she pleaded, "Maybe we can push some of our aura into you. Or yours will strengthen. Maybe-"  
  
"Coco, none of you are much better off. You need what you have and that is likely around empty too. Please. It hurts."

         Coco could not hold back any more. She fell into his chest and wrapped her arms under his, her hands grasping his shoulders tightly from behind. Her shoulders shuddered, and she knew he could feel it when he laid his arms over her upper back. It was just too much, him asking her to end his pain. _Why? Why are you asking this of me? I was never meant to be leader, I can't, I can't hold on any more. I can't stand, I can't lead, I can't do as you have asked. I am not strong enough._

Yatsuhashi waited, letting her shaking subside, before whispering in her ear, "Coco, please, let me go. Just leave me if you must. "  
  
"Yatsu . . ."  
  
"Just walk away. Get the others, tell them I'm sleeping, and try the basement."  
  
"I can't just leave you alone, Yatsu."  
  
"Please, just let me go."

         Coco pulled away so she could see his face. His eyes did not quite meet hers, but he was trying to smile at her. The pain he felt, _in request or physically?,_ twisted his expression. She put a hand against his jaw, while inhaling slowly, before rising to her feet. She walked away, but returned dragging Velvet's straw bed onto Yatsuhashi's.

"Lay down, on your back."

         He obeyed, without a sound apart from a wince when his weight rested upon his injuries. A scraping sound indicated her picking up his sword. She knew he could now feel the tip of the blade resting on the left side of his chest, some of the weight was not held by her hands but not enough to tear the sheet he'd been wearing as a shirt. Coco stared down at him for several minutes, the pain in her arms from being still with the heavy weapon simply not registering. She watched as tears, her own, dripped onto the this sheet and wondered if he could feel them.

"Are you sure, Yatsu?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is there no other way?"  
  
"Coco, you don't have to. You can walk away, it would be okay."  
  
"Yatsuhashi, you know that I cannot. I cannot simply leave anyone of my team. Ozpin made me leader."  
  
"The meaning you have ascribed to that position is far beyond what is reasonable to expect of yourself. No one demands you be flawless, Coco, or take all the responsibility upon yourself. All that I ask is that you leave. Leave me and go. Go with Velvet, and Fox. Fix the tower. Get out of here."  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I could not protect you. I'm sorry I did not consider that we'd need to bring our own food. I'm sorry I failed." The point of the blade transferred the shaking of her body to the sheet, to her teammate. She could see it in the wrinkles, hear it in her wavering voice.  
  
"Leave, leave this place and return to Beacon. Get Velvet out of here. Get Fox out of here. Get yourself out of here. If you can do that you will not have failed, it might not be perfect or flawless, but it would be success. Plans change, but you need to keep going."  
  
"Yatsuhashi?"  
  
"Mmmm?"  
  
"We'll get out of here. You might get to be released from this hell early, but we will all leave. Velvet, Fox, and I will walk out. I promise you. Yatsu, I swear."  
  
"Thank you. I am sorry I had to ask this of you Coco, it is not fair. Thank you, and goodbye." he closed his eyes.  
  
"Goodbye" she echoed. Coco moved the blade, so that it would rest on the floor instead of his labored chest, then stood for a long time, not moving, simply waiting. Her left hand twitched against the hilt, her right quickly settled over it to quell the involuntary motion. His difficult breathing smoothed out, and beneath his closed eyes she saw movement. A deep breath, two, and her eyes refocused on her teammate. She repositioned the blade over the sheet, exactly as it had been.  
  
"Goodbye." she repeated, before letting go of the heavy sword and pushing down with all her strength. It was lined up between ribs, but the width forced through the curves and connections of the bones. The sheet had already become moist, dried, and spotted again, but red seeped over it, blending the two-tone color into one of dark discoloration.

         Coco pulled the sword from his chest, laid it beside him, and walked out. She did not wipe her face, nor did a cry escape her pursed lips. Eyes blinking away any fog, she walked directly to the flat she had located earlier. If she was to fulfill her promise, there was more to be done.


	7. Day 5: PM

          Coco greeted Fox and Velvet outside the house with a big smile. They were late, it was closer to 3 than 2, but she made no remark to point it out. She had not messaged Velvet about the time, nor did she experience a moment of impatience. She had eagerly gone to meet them when they appeared turning onto the street. The two were shocked, and started asking questions about what had happened, how Yatsuhashi was, and if a message had arrived.

"No, no message. I'm not going to tell you, you have to come and look. He's fine, just sleeping. It's in the house, just wait a minute."

          A pungent smell greeted the two, the windows and doors had been closed, sealing in an olfactory sensation they had forgotten to expect. Two filled canteens of water were on the counter, but over a fire was a large pot, the sound of boiling escaping the rattling lid.

Fox's and Velvet's words blended together. Coco did not hear the words, only the sound. It is to that which she responded.

"Yatsuhashi rested after you two left, so I started looking around again. I checked on him each hour, but in one building I found a cellar, now that I knew they were able build them here." she swatted the two away from the pot. "I think it needs another 30 minutes or so." _Just to be sure, to be safe._  
  
"I chanced across a young buck, likely not a year old, who had probably not eaten in a week and must have been hidden then forgotten. I want to cook it extra, just to be certain it is safe.  
  
Coco waited, expecting the possibility of needing to reveal more information. It came, not as heavily as she was prepared for. "I think it was the only one, it is an odd thing to forget about. The poor thing was nearly dead but I got what I could and put it in a pot from the place's kitchen."

          The three talked with renewed enthusiasm while waiting for the end to Coco's arbitrary timeline. Fox and Velvet had not found anything, just more cleaned out homes, emptied stores, bins with trash without a trace of food left among them, and a nearly complete lack of evidence of a grim attack; that side of the village was far more insulated by the cliffs. Coco found herself not quite hearing all the words, but nothing in the description needed her attention anyway.

As the pot cooled in the sink, they found plates and utensils in the cabinets and drawers, even some cloth napkins. Coco chose a small pot with a lid, and used the ladle to fill it with a few pieces of meat but mostly the watery broth.

"I am going to eat with Yatsuhashi, okay? Don't eat too much and get sick. Bring dinner to the barn with you after you finish your search." She excused herself, hearing nothing more than sound behind her. With a smile and a wave she turned from the doorway back to the barn.

 

* * *

 

          Coco sat on the floor, the pot beside her, and two meters away from a corpse. The barn echoed her cries back to her, mocking her, taunting her. Her whole body shook, her stomach growled for the food so near, but it seemed that she could not hear it over the sounds from her throat. Her body began to ache, her head throbbed, but still she did not cease despite her lack of energy hushing her anguish. More than an hour after she had entered the building her body tipped over and felt into a light sleep. There was no protest, her energy depleted and an alarm set on her scroll.

          Too soon the mechanical beeping forced her back to reality. Muscles ached from crying, bones ached from the cold, hard floor. Her eyes held the form under a red sheet before her as her hands located the source of her arousal. The alarm was turned off, and she looked at the pot in disgust. _I have to eat something. If I starve myself I will be useless. I could have walked out, told the other two that he could be alone long enough for us to look at the basement as a partial group. Nothing is alive in this place, nothing is lurking there to hurt us. Why? Why? Why did Yatsuhashi have to ask that of me? Why did I indulge him?_

          She drank a mouth full from the pot and gagged. It was not horrible, but not much better than cardboard, although different. The warm liquid leaked from her mouth, a pained expression and closed eyes struggled to swallow it. A minute later her stomach was screaming in her head for more. Her bare hands grasped a chunk of meat and tore at it with all the anger and frustration that she had stored against herself. On her hands and knees within two bites, she coughed until it came back up; unrelenting she ate the rest of the chunk not allowing anymore to flee. She drank a little more, then dumped the rest, still disgusted with herself and needing to remove enough for two.

          Coco stood, leaving the pot, and walked to the mound in the middle of the room. Her eyes dry, she wiped the sword on the unsoaked edge of the sheet and took it to the loft. All the straw from the loft was pushed to the floor below, as was the majority from the stalls. The sword, having served its purpose as a shovel, was taken outside. Next, the a backpack in which another pack and the two canteens were placed. She looked around the room before kneeling next to her fallen friend, pulling a dust round from her weapon and opening it. Without looking she knew a knife, the one for the deer, laid dirty on the other side. She held the small explosive between the two straw mattresses and forced a spark from her minimal aura to ignite the dust.

 

* * *

 

          It was barely light enough to see when Velvet and Fox made their way to the house. A light, on the other side of the settlement caught their attention briefly, but they had items to gather, including a flashlight, before they could go explore it. Waiting in the living room, on one of the mattresses, was their leader. She looked up to them, her face red, and on the bed beside hers laid a sword.

          Velvet froze, her mind clawing desperately for another explanation, the sounds from her mouth expressed this in words Coco could not process. Her body too exhausted from her own outburst and the one to paint her face, Coco watched Yatsuhashi's partner scream and shed the tears she herself could no longer. Fox knelt beside Velvet, a hand on her back. He was respectfully silent, watched by glazed eyes who's silence was far heavier, heavy enough to muffle screams.

          The fading light of silhouettes eventually left; the darkness that took its place brought with it the deafening stillness that permeated the settlement. Velvet had been reduced to whimpers and hiccups. Coco opened her mouth to speak, and a small, strangled sound escaped. A cough cleared sorrow from her throat so that she could break their long word-less exchange.

"He drank some of the broth with me. He smiled. He said that we'd all leave soon, away from this place." Coco's practiced words trembled in the air, too brittle to pierce any heart or wall. "He said he was going to nap, and then we could all sleep in the house together." In the distance, echoing off the rock barriers and empty buildings, a soft crash indicated the falling of the barn roof. _It probably won't spread. This haunted place has little wind. If it were to? Then maybe someone would come, perhaps the black smoke of treated materials would be visible outside the range of out broadcast._

"I must have fallen asleep, when I woke up he was barely breathing and I could not rouse him."  
  
"Why?" ask Velvet, the word echoing through Coco's head. "Why did you -", "Why not -" The remainder of the each question went unheard as her thoughts roared louder still.

_Why did he have to die? Why was he not healing? I thought he was getting better. You found food. Why did that not fix him? Why did you set the barn alight? Why won't Fox let me go see him? Why did he not say goodbye to her? Why Why Why. Why did you kill him? To save her? That is why I burned him, so she'd never need to know. Never see. Sleep in peace. Because I could save you two, there is still a chance. I can help you two and give you a chance to leave, that is why I did what I did. I did it for you Velvet. For you Fox._

          Fox's voice murmured through the dark, likely comforting Velvet. Coco let herself fall to her side, her eyes closed, but not asleep. She heard Fox trying to get Velvet to eat a little, maybe eating some himself. The flashlight spun around the room, _was that before they ate?_ The darkness seemed to drag on, and yet pass her by. _I think they went to sleep, I don't hear them moving. Breathing? I hear that. The room, light? I think the sun might be beginning its ascent. Yes, it is._ The other two were still sleeping, and the light implied that it would be a late start. _Did I sleep? I don't know. I feel the same. I can hear someone's stomach, so they will probably get up soon. Mine? I don't think so. Maybe, but if so then also Velvet's or Fox's. Who? Do I care? No. I should move. Get up? Water? Bathroom? Must I? Probably, I didn't go last night._

          Coco rose from her mattress, an extra sheet had been placed over her. _So I was sleeping? Or did I simply not notice? It seems to be a blur._ The map had the last quadrant, the second outer ring, crossed off, and a new circle around the administration building. _Did I do that? I don't recall, nor if Fox did it. I never asked if they found anything. ha, it is worth the breath? The breath of air Yatsu will never inhale again._ She laid back down on her mattress, looking at the ceiling, all her bedding beneath her. _I wonder how many gallons that tab has poured out. It still tastes strange, metallic, like blood when hit in the face. I thought I had just gotten used to it, I suppose not._

          Eventually the other two stirred. Eventually Coco got back up. Velvet ate. Fox had a small bowl. Coco forced herself to drink a little of the broth. There would be enough for one more meal, or two if none of them were going to bother to eat a healthy amount.


	8. Days 6 & 7

\--------------------Day 6: Friday--------------------

 

          The three of them stood at the bottom of the stairwell. Fox had already changed the message they were sending out, she wasn't sure to what although he had probably said. _Did he give my scroll back, or does he still have it? Probably doesn't matter._ Coco raised her weapon, in bag form, high, and brought it down upon the door. _I didn't hit the other two, did they go up the stairs? Just a dent. Try again._ Once again a deafening bang reverberated through the stairwell and into the building. She had no idea which try it was that broke the lock, but she was fairly certain she had hit it after, a hit that swung the door open. Fox caught her arm as it lifted for another, which was when she noticed that it was hanging ajar.

           Light shone from behind Coco illuminating a room with two predominant colors, white and metal. _Oh it's dark. But I can see now? Does Velvet have the flashlight? It smells warm, like the forest, like people and life, not empty like everywhere else. Not like smoke either._ The three students entered the room cautiously. Fox's weapons were out, and three pairs of eyes searched for any traps or movement. The room was long, with desks lining the left while the wall on the right eventually had doors, similar to the now broken one, at regular intervals. At the end the right wall disappeared allowing for an open room with a large table, it too ladened with objects but not piled. Not until reaching the far wall did any of the three really look around.

What they saw was shocking. The open room and in the center of the corridor above the desks had the Atlas symbol painted on the otherwise starkly white walls. _I thought this settlement was created out of Vale? We checked the coordinates too._

"Atlas?" asked Velvet to which Fox merely shrugged.

"Fox, take the lantern on the table and check the communications systems. Velvet and I will look through the papers to see what was going on. Doors second but be on alert."

          Velvet and Coco started on this end, first noticing an open emergency box with supplies cluttering the desk. Coco took one of the flashlights and began searching from the other side of the long room at the desk closest to the door. No more were they meticulously leaving everything as it had been, now satisfied that everyone had left and it unlikely anyone would come here again.  _Papers, notes, clutter, Atlas, subject xe034? Drawing, diagram, numbers, invoice from a month ago . . . nothing out of the ordinary._ The communication lines appeared to be based from a terminal in the room with a table, Fox met the women as they neared the middle desk.

"The lines were cut. I found this." he offered a manual, open to a page marked up in red pen. Velvet allowed Coco to take it first.

"Evacuation plan?" she asked, handing the book to Velvet and looking to Fox.

"That's what it looks like."

"Why?" pressed Velvet, putting the book on the desk behind her. "The grimm were not getting in, judging by the buildings, why leave?"

"At least that explains why no one is here. Velvet, did you come across any logs for supplies shipments?" Coco glanced at her before looking back to Fox, who seemed intent on watching Velvet. "Can you fix the lines?"

"No, unless there are spare wires around I would not be able to reconnect them. There is no slack and they were cut twice."

_Why? Why is this place so intent on destroying us? At least getting in here earlier would not have been much help for Yatsu- Stop thinking about that. Just look at Velvet, smile, and check the logs._ She flipped through the logs silently for a few minutes, struggling to locate the information she wanted as her eyes rejected focusing.

"It looks like they had regular supplies coming in. Every two weeks was foodstuffs, three was infrastructure and office supplies, with intermittent private drops, all of which stopped about the time assistance against the grimm was first requested. The first message was on a Monday, with the food drops usually on Mondays or Tuesdays. I wonder if that arrived before this place was locked down."

"That was two and a half weeks ago. " said Velvet after a quick calculation.

"Which means the last message was three but almost four weeks since the last food drop, not terribly long. They did not seem to have requested supplies either. If they were fine, what could have happened in three days to clear out anything remotely edible and warrant an evacuation with help on its way?"

"I cannot imagine, but I suppose the answer might lie somewhere in here, if there is any answer to be found." answered Velvet, gesturing down the hall of unopened doors with her flashlight.

          Fox watched silently as Coco strode to the first door, farthest from the stairs, and began bashing it in. Velvet went to check the doorknob on the next, but found it locked. Within the first room were counter tops, lining the walls as well as an island, broken only by machines. Boxes of gloves, glass containers, and red-lined trash bins populated the room. _Tidy, no notes, is all the work on the desks?_

"Next." announced Coco, departing this room and attacking the next door without pause. Velvet had to jump out of the way. The second room was painted a dark red, almost black, not evenly but in a spray. What was noticed first, however, was the rush of a distasteful smell, the warmth of life gone the odor's source seemed to be this decaying body. Nearly headless, likely bludgeoned, the person was cloaked in what was once a long white cloth, l _ab coat?,_ now stained in death.

Fox turned away, stepping out of the doorway, and hand over his face. Velvet gave a choked gasp and coughed, her legs stuck and Coco walked past and began on the next door.

_What happened here?_

**Bang**

_What was going on here?_

**Bang**

_Why?_

          In just two hits the third door was breached. The walls were painted similarly, but the odor and source were not present here. Instead of a plain room with a table and two chairs this one had a heavy metal chair bolted to the floor and leather straps. A table, that too was welded to the floor, possessed leather restraints. Coco stepped into the room, and looked at the wall which held the doorway, Fox was stepping into the room. _I suppose he's recovered himself. An interesting assortment of tools, surgical or for interrogation? Plain torture? This is not a medical center, but it might be passable as either._

"Torture." she concluded out loud, upon turning. Coco's gaze rested upon the table beside the chair, which bore a strange device that still held a fingernail from its last victim. This time she closed the door behind her, before going onto the next.

Coco would not be able to recall how many more doors there were nor what laid within. At least one was a hallway to a small, empty, prison. At some point Velvet had gone pale, and left to sit at the table alone. Fox and Coco returned to Velvet, the three of them began a renewed search through the desks, with a better idea of what to look for.

          One of them went back to the house for an empty supplies backpack, _Who went? I don't recall, it's fuzzy. Did I? Did I keep looking?_ , within which any interesting documents were placed. Voices, there were voices announcing finds, and determinations of what went into the bag; some were her own but she was not sure which remarks. Maybe they were not real, out-of-order? Her memories kept writing over each other.

"This one has chemicals on an invoice."

"These strings of numbers and letters are matched with names. Hold on, I think I saw some of these strange tags before."

"Something about a protocol for emergencies? It looks like a scroll message that was printed."

"Experiment?"

"What is important, how can we be sure?"

"Boarbatusk, Nevermore, Creep, I think this is a log of grimm sightings."

"Here, each of these folders has one of those weird number-letter combinations."

"An article about grimm?"

"I found a list! It seems like a code. Maybe just esoteric stuff, since everything is initials or abbreviated."

"Obituary clippings"

"Food invoice"

"Wait, one of those words, I think that is the name for a bone."

"This handwritten note mentions something about garbage collectors, a problem or money?"

"This looks just like -"

"Should we get another bag? Are were taking duplicates by mistake?"

"Darkness is harbored in all humans and faunus, as a strength or a weakness. What does that mean? It is some fortune carnival trick?"

"Here is a printout of just numbers."

"I think that might go with this, something to do with pay roll?"

"Atlas stationary all over this pile."

"Grimm feed on negativity."

"Subject called "EBY" failed. Deceased stamp and the top of the page has one of the letter-number things."

"Gala Taile asking questions, might replace HT."

"EBY and HT? Here it says 'grimm breached the walls', and 'EBT and HT' were found failed in the morning."

          Documents, notes, ideas, and voices swarmed Coco's thoughts. The puzzle pieces flew across the table desperately looking for a match. Her fingers were checking the bottom of a drawer, discarded files lay scattered behind her, carpeting the floor. A red folder, flat against the bottom of the drawer, almost missed. Coco sat back to the floor, and propped the paper on her thighs as she scanned it with her light. The words she read escaped her lips in fragments.

"Atlas logo, military research project, study grimm to reduce threat, captivity? Weaponize? Darkness only exists in relation to light. Exploit and nourish the seeds for growth? How grimm come into existence? Breeding unlikely. Difficult to study, perhaps another method? Fursley Method."

_Into the bag, next drawer, did we get photos of the communication damage with one of the scrolls? More papers, numbers, is my light getting dim?_ Coco rubbed her eyes and could read the words again, although Velvet's was looking low. The three of the continued pawing through anything around, going back through what someone else had checked, looking for anything that stood out or fit another piece. Words would permeate the heavy, odious, air, as one of the three read aloud or summarized a finding; perhaps a response would be uttered as well.

A chime shattered the group's focus, the sound coming from Fox who had just reached the doorway to the stairs in his own search. The other two watched him intently as he checked the scroll.

"Low battery." he stated simply.

Coco looked around the room, and the bag of clues against the wall. "We probably have enough to get whoever looks into this place started."

 

* * *

 

          Coco, with the bag over her shoulders, emerged on the roof. Velvet reluctantly handed Fox Yatsuhashi's scroll. The day still bright, but threatening to fade, it was mid afternoon, maybe four. The fresh air was welcome, none of the team displaying any interest in returning to the basement they had shut away.

In the house, Fox and Velvet worked to start a fire as Coco rummaged through the belongings nestled into their sheets.

"I think we could stay on the roof tonight, this place has decent weather."

Velvet turned around, shocked. "The roof of the administration building? Why!?"

"The relay is hurting the total scroll battery we have." offered Fox.

"Tomorrow is when we were expected to leave. I know it was around noon, but being close might be a good idea."

"But the tower was hit by a nevermore! There are strong grimm around here. Have you two forgotten?" pleaded Velvet, already seeing herself out numbered.

"I think, I think they have stayed away for a reason. Something to do with the basement. We have not seen any within the settlement and the others would not get close. I have never heard of grimm with fear, but perhaps there was something else. It is clear that even the life of grimm is absent within the boundaries of this settlement."

"It will be so unprotected!"

"Velvet," started Fox, "we could take turns, we could sleep in, we can look at the stars."

_And this house is stifling._ The thought stabbed into her mind's conversation when her gaze passed over the fourth mattress.

          The plain stew was heated to a boil, to try making it safe despite having sat out for many hours. With all three in the kitchen, Coco offered that the other two split the meat to keep up their strength. Fox opened his mouth, but thought against protesting; instead he pulled a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with broth, making it the largest serving of the three before handing it to Coco. The remainder of the liquid was split between two other bowls, each with a small pile of meat.

          The three of them ate quietly, slowly, the sun still gave them plenty of time. A silence settled in, each lost in his or her own thoughts. Fox focused intently upon his bowl; Coco stared at the living room with three packed bags, none full, of anything worth taking back; Velvet had her back to the table, her eyes looking out the window. Coco was the first to rise, offering to rinse and fill the four canteens.

          She shut the bathroom door, hit the small lock, and placed the four bottles on the sink. The toilet lid was swung open by her hands, which then grasped the seat as her body willingly and forcefully expelled her meal. _Tasting that again is some cruel punishment, not undeserved. I paid a steep price to protect Velvet and Fox, but not steep enough to be granted a reprieve from hunger for myself._ Coco washed her face and rinsed her mouth in the cold water before she filled the canteens, turned off the tub faucet for the first time in nearly a week, and returned to the house which served as the current location of the remainder of her team.

 

* * *

 

          Coco bore one of the two lighter packs, and carried the heavy sword wrapped in a sheet. Fox had taken the one of documents and a pillow; Velvet wore the third, containing three bed rolls, and carried the second and third pillows. Red and orange glowed in the sky when they crested the stairs of the administration building. Velvet did not waste a moment shutting the door behind them. Coco blinked away the lights that were impairing her vision.

Once their burdens had been laid down, Fox took to the two remaining scrolls while the other two rolled out the beds.

"I adjusted the message to include that we are waiting here and that there is likely no good place to land, and I stopped the scroll from relaying to Coco's." he reported, before sitting on the unoccupied bed.

          Coco nodded in response. It must not have been long before all three were laying down, the stars shining above them, with Velvet pointing out constellations to soothe her own worries. Yet, it took quite some time for the light to leave the sky and the stars to takes its place. Coco drifted off to sleep before she realized how exhausted she felt.

 

* * *

\--------------------Day 7: Saturday--------------------

 

Coco winced as the sheet fell from her face when she rolled over. Sunlight bore into her skull, punishing her for her late arousal. Squinting, she eventually made out the forms of her team, already up. _Fox probably checked for a message already. I wonder what time it is._ Velvet was cheery, likely re-energized from dinner, when she greeted her leader.

"Good Morning to you too Velvet, Fox" Coco replied with a smile. "What time is it?"

"Mmmm I think . . ." Velvet looked to the sky, "probably around ten. You slept in late!"

"I trusted you two to let me know if a loud, giant, airship came by." jested Coco. She turned to Fox, "Has any message come in?"

Fox did not bother to look at her when he shook his head. _He must be tired, focusing seems hard to me too._

"Too bad this place is still new, I'm sure countless cargo transports would have flown by this settlement in a week once they branched off." Velvet mussed, eager to not let the silence settle in.

_Right, this village was going to be the central point, the trading post for a new ring of settlements, part of the plan to push Vale's influence farther into the wild. Just a handful of safe havens, all working together, using the starting point, here, as the central trading post._ "Yep."

          Velvet had failed, but her attempts continued sporadically. After a couple hours Coco got up and stretched a few paces away. _When the world stops spinning I'll take a walk along the edge of the roof. That will keep me awake._

          Velvet repeated Coco's movements in her own style once the leader returned to sit on her bed. About once an hour Coco would stretch and walk the roof, return, then Velvet would do the same. A smattering of small chatter worked its way in, but not enough to break the revere. The sun dipped low, grazing the horizon.

Beep beep

_Low battery? Already?_ Fox spun around to the scroll and checked it. He must have read it completely before speaking. "Hello CFVY, this is a cargo transport. We were asked to go a little off course to check in. I am glad we did. We are not able to stop without a cleared landing though."

Coco spoke at once, Fox appeared to be typing it out. "Thank you for the detour. We need an extraction, please notify Vale to Beacon? We cannot hold a landing space, due to an unexpected situation."

It was not long before Fox read another message. "We already have. Sorry but we cannot stay, not enough fuel and getting dark. Vale responded 'expect tomorrow'."

It surprised Coco how quickly her eyes fell with the sun, ready for bed after such a short and inactive day.


	9. Day 8: Sunday

_Darkness_. Coco raised a hand to her face to be assured her eyes were open. _Cold._ She wrapped the sheet around herself, before noticing her stomach begging to be free of its constant emptiness. _Water_. Braving the cool night air, her arm reached for her canteen, attempting to convince herself it would be enough. It was, her hunger seemed to have subsided.

_Morning._ Earlier  today than last , Coco opened her eyes to low sunlight  with a yawn . Her arms felt leadened but her mind too bored of struggling  for sleep .  She sat up, too quickly it seems, for the light disappeared in patches then retreated to the center of her vision before  extinguishing and  then being  reignited. No more than a handful of seconds, the forced pause seemed longer. No sounds met her ears apart from the breathing of Fox and Velvet, still asleep.  _Those two seem more tired again, perhaps they are in a different stage of hunger than me?_

Unwilling to face the cold, Coco sat wrapped in a sheet. It was probably too early to need to check for a message. She looked at the base of the tower, where the scroll laid connected to the wiring.  _I suppose I must, as team leader, at least be able to accomplish that much._ Resolved, she stood from her bed mat and attempted to not drag her sheet as she quietly walked past Fox to check the device.  _Nothing. 6am. Jeez._ Promptly, Coco resumed her post upon her bed, knees held tightly to her chest with the thin fabric twisted around her body.  _Nine hour flight, they can't get here before 4am, well that passed. They would have needed time to prepare, perhaps they did not leave until early morning? Now? Not if their pinging message was relayed. No, they would have left in the night most likely, or a lot earlier than now in the morning. If they left at four, then they will be here by one. Would they have a slower vehicle? Something that can hover or land here? No use thinking about it I suppose, nothing to do but wait. Not waiting like before though, this should be our final morning. Should. IS. Is the final morning. How many? 6? No, this is the seventh. Just get t_ _h_ _e rest of my team out of here. That's it. Just one last goal._

Coco found herself stiff by the time the other two began to stir. Fox sat up first, and checked the scroll before noticing Coco's sitting and bundled form. Velvet rolled over, intent to remain in bed a little longer.  _Maybe in that world, of feeling awake and still pretending to sleep she is in a happier place. A place where Yatsuhashi isn't -- Where we never entered this village, before, in the land of memories if not dreams._ Coco finally shed her covering with a stretch, then stood and walked a lap around the roof. When she returned, Velvet was returning from the access door and Fox was gone.

It was not long before Fox returned to sit on his mat, and Velvet laid back upon hers to watch the sparse clouds lazily. Coco found herself holding the sheet around herself again, the sides closed tightly by her clutched hands to stop them from twitching.  _Velvet must be too exhausted again to attempt to drag us all into droll conversation. Fox is not particularly social either_ _. A_ _m I glad for that?_

 

* * *

 

The silence, not unwelcome now, lasted hours; it had been almost five since Coco had awoken. A distant whine seemed to buzz just out of hearing for a moment before it jolted all three students from their stupor. Velvet sat up to both of her teammates staring at her with wide eyes.

Beep Beep

Fox jumped forward, away from the scroll, from which the sudden and seemingly loud noise originated. "Extraction for Beacon team CFVY approaching settlement at coordinates," his voice trailed as he mumbled over the numbers, "Requesting Status."

"Oh! Um, " began Coco with a small shake of her head. Filler sounds were uncharacteristic of her, but a haze had settled in momentarily. "Awaiting pickup from settlement center rooftop, white building with the tower. No grimm in proximity."

Fox transcribed the message and sent it. The whine had become a hum, coming closer the sound seemed impossibly loud although still not within sight. Without delay the scroll made a noise, something different and repeating. Coco dove over to Fox, her feet tangled in the sheet. She closed her eyes begging the dull pounding to fade and her sight to return as she heard Fox accept the call.

"Hey! Glad to hear from you Coffee!" spoke a too-cheery voice from the other end.

Coco recovered herself and took the scroll from Fox to reply. "Happy to be heard. What is your plan?"

"We cannot land, but we brought a slower ship with a pod that can detach to pick you guys up. I'll be hovering in the sky making sure nothing gets close enough to attack." The sound from the ship now seemed deafening as it appeared beside the rock-face getting closer. "I see the building with the tower, I think the pod can land there. If you can get clear, maybe near the tower, we can drop it down. I'll circle around to give you a minute."

Fox was up in a flash, rolling his mat as he dragged it to the tower. Coco pulled feet under her and was walking to the backpacks before Velvet had managed to stand. Velvet dragged the two remaining mats to the tower, passed by both Coco and Fox as they headed for the remaining pack and Yatsuhashi's sword, respectively. Coco picked up one pillow, and kicked the other two over; one flew over the side of the building.

The door of the pod closed behind them as the sound of gun fire sprayed a second time.  _Grimm?_ As Coco turned to look out a window she saw one of the hunters that had helped them into the pod sitting beside her, the other in the front before a panel of controls and clear windshield.  _A nevermore? Two? Where are Fox and Velvet?_ She twisted her head quickly, eyes wide, and found them easily sitting opposite her with the sword across their laps.  _When?_

"Hold on!"

She was not sure from where the voice originated, but her whole body lurched with the pod as it began its ascent to the waiting ship. Behind them the mats and pillows remained on the roof, discarded. Three packs sat at their feet, their shoes pinning the straps to the floor.

"Here." Coco looked up for the source of the new voice. She was sitting, in a softer chair now, in a much larger room. Coco looked from the unfamiliar face standing over her, then to the bowl he held. Her hands went to meet the bowl, but she only saw one; looking down the other was clenching the handle of her weapon, which she released so she could take the bowl as instructed.  _Warm?_ She looked at the bowl, it contained liquid, with small items of different colors floating about.  _It, smells. It smells warm. It seems unfamiliar and yet it tickles my memory, not quite right. Soup but different than_ _from_ _home?_ The bowl slowly moved toward her face.  _Are my hands doing that? No, something else, his?_ The spoon had naturally tucked itself between her thumb and the side of the bowl. With the gentle push, the rim of the bowl was brought to her lips.

The bowl was pulled away, about half of the small amount offered now gone, when Coco gave a weak cough. Moments? Seconds? Minutes? later.  _This isn't right. Something is wrong. What?_ Abruptly she rose to her feet and walked several paces.  _Bathroom? Where? Where am I? Where are Velvet and Fox? Where -_ She had moved too quickly, her sight stolen from her once more. In her pause something held her back from continuing forward. A lurch felt all her muscles tighten, she pulled to go forward but was held still by a hand on her back curling over her shoulder. Her knees fell to the floor, her stomach rejected its contents into a container than had been placed before her.  _Exactly what it has been clawing at me for_ _, or had it given up?_ _Was it something else that rejected it? Just stop this._

"Just three."

" . . . traveled all night."

" . . . two hours after, as soon . . . "

"What do . . . ?"

"She won't let go of it."

" . . . long? How . . ."

"Injury? . . . There was . . ."

Various voices and images mixed together, everything was moving so quickly, but Coco did not attempt to see through the haze through to reality. Without interference her senses settled and she found herself in a smaller room, sitting on a table. There was a counter top on one side, with wooden cabinets below and glass-doored above.  _How did I get here? Walked? Guided?_

A woman lifted up Coco's arm, she said something to the student but the words failed to breach her muddled senses.  _I should probably try, but I got them out. This is definitely out. Can I just pretend to not be leader for a little while now? Can I just not bother for a moment? This all seems so far away from me._ Coco felt something on her arm, but did not take note of what, it was cold against her skin.  _This place is cold. Am I cold? I don't feel cold._

Coco took a step and reached a booth, two plush benches both facing a table from opposite sides. In one sat Velvet and Fox, in the other rested a large sword. Something released its hold on Coco's arm and she sat on the vacant side, placing the handle of the sword to rest in her lap. Her stomach hurt, but no longer was it screaming at her.  _Does it still not feel hunger despite the tease?_ _Did I eat?_ She ran her tongue along the bottom of her back teeth.  _I think so, something with chewing, I can feel it in my jaw._ Coco turned her head toward the window, letting the side of her head rest against the seat back. The food seemed to drain her energy to her stomach for digestion, but an energy of clarity began to arise; even without fighting against the dimming fog her focus was returning. Too exhausted of body and mind to do much, she sat there staring out the window too awake with new-found energy from sustenance to fall asleep.

Merely colors reached her attention, blues, greens, a drifting white. At some point they added warmer tones before they all vanished completely. The light within the cabin prevented any from celestial bodies to meet her gaze but she did not bother to stir.

 

* * *

 

Coco found herself being led off the ship. The sheet-sheathed sword was wrapped in Velvet's arms. _Where is my weapon?_ Bright, artificial, lights broke through the dark night. Ahead stood another team of people, but two stood in front and were recognized easily by their distinct style: Headmaster Ozpin and his second, Professor Goodwitch. _Does that mean we are at Beacon? Why are they up? It must be late._

Coco sat in a hard chair, alone. Her team, what remained, was elsewhere. There was a table in front of her, and a door on the wall beyond it. Someone entered the small, windowless room and sat at the chair opposite hers.  _Headmaster? Someone is standing behind him._ The door closed with a click.

"Hello." spoke the dark-dressed man after waiting a minute. He paused again, his hands resting on the table contrary to hers in her lap.  _Is he waiting? Looking at me, staring? Stud_ _ying_ _my face? Posture? Waiting for what?_ The light in the room came from overhead, the beam focused enough that it would take an actual look and effort to see the person standing behind the headmaster, a guess was enough anyway. Coco's gaze, having glanced around the room already, remained settled upon the clasped hands on the table, although not rooted there, occasionally flicking away.

"Coco." His voice was calm, and soft.  _Low, with a hum at the back of it, soothing? Certainly quieter than typical speaking volume, especially at this school, but the room was quiet, like_ that _place._ "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

Her eyes flicked to his face, before returning to his hands, thinking about what to answer with and searching for words. "It was quiet." she began, paused by a deep breath meant to stifle a yawn. "When we landed it was quiet. The entire place was quiet." Her voice cracked at first, no longer familiar with abrupt use.

The headmaster nodded, but did not wait long before verbally prompting more. "I know it's late, nearly midnight. Before you go, though, I just want to know if there is anything you want to tell me now."

"It was empty."

"I already spoke with Fox, and I'll meet with Velvet after you." he replied. It made it clear that Coco was not yet giving him the information he sought.

"The packs. One has papers, documents from the administration building." Coco swallowed a second yawn.

The headmaster waited just long enough to realize the pause was not just the yawn before prompting her for more with a nod. "and?"

"Not from the offices. There was a basement. Fox said the long-distance wiring had been cut."

"Yes, twice?"

"He might have gotten a photo of it with one of the scrolls."

"Why bring the documents back?" Despite being more involved in this topic, there was still some hesitancy in his voice, some gentleness dulling what was possibly eagerness. He was pushing as softly as he could.

Coco glanced at the person behind him, then his face, before replying to his hands. "We looked through quickly and pulled out the ones that might explain what happened." She may have given a little more information than requested, but made no effort to continue with further elaboration.

"What types of things were of interest?" he pushed again, his voice possibly getting quieter.

"There was a body in one of the rooms."

"Oh?"

"It was the only one. The basement smelled warm, like the woods outside the settlement, until we opened that door. It was the only one we found and we searched the whole village."

"What of the documents? What types of documents were considered 'of interest'?" He spoke with more words, returning to the previous topic.  _Was it the direct question or his tone that made it a harder push?_

"Numbers, logos, some science thing." Coco stopped, as if giving another of her lacking responses, but the headmaster's patience allowed her a continuance. "Atlas. There were two seals of Atlas on the walls in the basement."

The headmaster looked to the person behind him, who had shifted her weight. He looked back to the student before him, who met his eyes with hers. As he waited thoughtfully, for more information to be volunteered or to put his own thoughts together Coco did not care to speculate. She did, however, respond with a yawn.

"I suppose I have kept you long enough." he said.  _Giving up? Or did he get the information he sought?_ With those words he stood, the chair scraping along the hard floor, eliciting a wince from Coco. "My apologies. We can continue this discussion tomorrow, with details from the beginning. For now, please get some rest."

_He didn't mention Yatsuhashi. Was that intentional? Had he expected me to bring it up? It would not be relevant, it's too late. It has little to do with why we were there, how strange it was, or why we failed. Failed. I'm the leader of the team that failed, that failed her team, and needed to be rescued. I was - am the leader. **I** failed._

Coco was standing in a large, single, bathroom. Someone stood behind her and put her hat in a plastic bag. The woman then unclasped the belt, and took off her necklaces and bracelets. Next was the corset. She had Coco sit on the closed toilet and helped her get her boots off. The nurse then went for Coco's gloves, and they too went in the bag. There seemed to be a method and order to the process, despite being erratic. A warm, damp, cloth was put against Coco's hand, the woman having gently pulled each from Coco's sides in turn. She washed and dried her hands, then her face.

Someone helped put Coco's legs in the bed, and drew the covers over her. She had been changed into a thin cloth gown. The bed was in an open room, pattern curtains divided her from the rest of it, but voices still filtered through. Coco rolled to her side and closed her eyes.

"She won't let go of it."

"Nothing will convince her?"

"The extraction team said she did on the ride, leaving it close by."

"Is that not working now?"

"I'm not sure."

"Try it, otherwise just use Trazadone."

"The other one isn't sleeping either."

"She isn't? The extraction team seemed certain she hadn't slept at all on the ride."

"I could check. Otherwise do the same?"

"Yes."

Several minutes later Coco heard the curtain move. Someone stood over her for a moment before rolling her onto her back. Three little things were stuck to her chest and a machine beside her began beeping. A few clicks and the sound was barely audible. The person then lifted up Coco's arm, and a cool sensation ran the length of it shortly after. Her unwilling mind quickly lost and disappeared into sleep.

 


	10. Day 9: Monday

          Coco's eyes fluttered open, squinting under the bright light. Above her the light was off, but sunlight streamed in from the window behind her. _Why am I awake? So soon, I thought they were going to make me sleep. It was night, though, wasn't it?_ Piece by piece control of her body returned, first her breathing, then fingers, legs, and shoulders. A soft beeping registered behind her. _I suppose that means I'm not dead. Why did I wake up? What's that smell, food_ _?_ She turned her head to the side, noticing that the curtain was open, pushed tightly to the wall behind her head, revealing the bottom half of a bed. A metal utensil scraped a glass dish, close, from the bed beside her?

"You woke up! Hello." a voice on her other side spoke. A smile shone down on Coco when her head turned to look. The person was fiddling with the machine, turning it off before removing the sensors from her chest. Beside the bed was a folded outfit placed in the seat of a chair, and behind the man a wall with a closed door. "Now that that is taken care of, I'll go get you something to eat."

He turned to leave, but Coco spoke, her quiet words having trouble forming but were effective to stop him. "Where are Fox and Velvet?" _How are they?_

"Coco! Good morning sleepy head!" a cheery voice piped up from the bed to her right. Peeking around the curtain by leaning forward, Velvet smiled at her late-rising leader.

Coco returned the smile, then looked back to the nurse when he spoke. "Mr. Alistair is meeting with Headmaster Ozpin at present." His own cheeriness seemed paled by Velvet's, professional without connecting, although not false. He turned and left with a subtle bow of his head.

          Velvet had scooted down her bed, now sitting cross-legged with a bowl in her lap, no longer obstructed by the cloth wall. Coco sat up, fleetingly surprised that her vision did not darken with the movement.

"I'm impressed I didn't wake you up." said Velvet, starting the conversation before putting another bite of food in her mouth.

"Why? Did something happen?"

Velvet laughed. "They said I woke up hard, that I jolted up and was freaking out. Apparently it was because they had to knock me out last night because I was being non-compliant and not letting go of the sword, so they couldn't do their jobs." Her voice seemed to lose energy, the silence marked by her taking another bite of food.

          Coco did not grant her the reprieve of another topic, perfectly fine with sitting in silence, back at school, with a teammate. _We_ _made it_ _back._ Velvet continued to eat in silence, although slowly, fidgeting just enough to demonstrate that she wanted Coco to try starting the conversation this time. _I did it Yatsuhashi._

A bowl appeared in front of her, held by the nurse that had left, wrapped in a dish towel. "Here you go. I put a glass of juice on the table behind you. Once you eat, you should probably wash up and change your clothes." He indicated the end table, then the chair beside her bed and the door to the bathroom. She simply nodded and took the bowl, not bothering to turn to where he gestured.

          Looking now, Coco noticed that Velvet was wearing the same thin dress that had been placed on herself. Her attention fell to the bowl in her lap, unsure if she really wanted to eat it. Every fiber in her body was yearning for its nourishment, her hunger hit her as if stored from the last two days, and she did not care enough to fight against the urge. She ate quickly, perhaps too quickly, eating the last forkful of the flavored rice and vegetable mush as Velvet reached the bathroom with the clothes and towel that had been laid beside her own bed.

"I'll be fast, and then you can go when you finish your lunch." Velvet smiled, apparently unaware Coco had just done precisely that. Coco responded with a nod and a small smile of her own, impressed by Velvet's resilience.

          When the door clicked, Coco fell back on her bed, stretching the arm with the bowl above her head to place it upon the table. Her eyes closed as she listened to the water from the shower.

          By the time Velvet emerged, dressed with her wet hair mostly wrapped in a towel, Coco's glass had also been emptied. She looked up at Velvet, watching her pass, but did not summon the will to swing her legs off the bed and get up until Velvet had sat down.

          Coco stepped out of her shower and looked at the school uniform that had been provided.  _My size, are they mine? From our dorm room? Or new? Weird but I suppose there is a point to the 'rooms may be searched at anytime' clause in the student code._ _New would explain why they picked the school uniform, or maybe it was_ _simply_ _the easiest outfit for_ _just_ _anyone to collect._

Velvet was gone when she left the bathroom, as were the bowls, although the glass had been replaced with one of water. Legs on a bed past Velvet's had appeared, Fox's? "Hey." she greeted, not really listening for a response. The two of them laid on their beds, Coco had propped her pillows against her headboard but accepted the silence without complaint.

Professor Goodwitch approached the door to their room trailed by Velvet, face tinted red, both visible through the interior windows. The professor held the door open for the student, then looked at Coco. "Your turn." she said simply, waiting patiently for the third student to follow her.

 

* * *

 

          Coco was taken to the same room she had sat in the previous night. This time the headmaster was already sitting, but rose when she entered. Upon the side of the table sat a box of tissues, lacking subtlety. Professor Goodwitch stood in the doorway, having opened it for Coco, watching.

"Hello Miss Adel," greeted the headmaster, offering her the seat he had occupied. "Have a seat."

"Hello."

          He pushed the seat in for her and walked to the other chair. A notebook, previously unnoticed, had been moved to his side of the table as well, a pen tucked into the elastic strap. Coco swung her head around when the door closed, the professor having departed. The headmaster chuckled lightly, drawing her attention back to him, his hands opening the small book to a blank page.

"I want you to tell me everything that happened, with details, from the beginning."

"Okay. Well, it started like any other mission, we had some contact with the clients before we went there. It had been a few days without any updates, but it did not raise any concerns because the reports were of grimm attacks, not getting a message when we neared the settlement failed to engender concern as well." Coco stopped, looking up from the still pen to Headmaster Ozpin. He looked back at her, but did not say a thing. It struck her odd that he was not pushing at all, not mentioning that she had started too early, so different from last night.  _Surely he'd heard anything_ _I_ _could say twice already._ She waited a breath more before continuing, but only after her attention fixed upon his notebook although glazed in recollection.

          Coco mentioned the empty streets, minimal grimm damage, lack of ruts from claws, and the striking silence. The vacant administration building, the broken tower, houses that seemed untouched in their partially stocked and sparsely furnished state, all tumbled from her lips as her eyes occasionally darted around, imagining herself there again so no detail would be missed.  _That was barely over a week ago. Only._ The cupboards bare, the restaurants cleaned out, the place preserved with only the rare window broken or shelf upturned yet sporadically barren of specific items, more missing in category than remained fully-stocked.

          She was not interrupted until she began to mention the lack of garbage, tagged onto the missing smell of life and rot, and again when she offered the information that they had estimated the last shipments to arrive. In regard to both the headmaster requested that she try to maintain chronological order of her findings, with exception to anything that would not otherwise come up naturally, such as a recently realized connection.

          The second day was spent on an expanded search, during which the weight of the lack of any food began to hit. Fox set up the ping and joined the search. While testing the boundary of the relay to her scroll Coco looked in trashcans, finding not a trace of anything perishable apart from print on boxes indicating that it had once been present.

          Professor Goodwitch walked in quietly, and motioned for Coco to continue her sentence. She placed a glass of water on the table, then stood near the door with naught a word.

          Coco continued onto the third day in the settlement, recounting their perimeter check with great care, as well as any indications she could recall about possible grimm attacks suffered by the settlement. The headmaster turned to a fresh page of his notebook and slid it to her with the pen, so she could sketch the village and try to better show the locations of the hit buildings in relation to each other. Out of scale, with thin rectangles squished between squares indicating forgotten structures, Coco marked some with an x, but only those along the edge of the village or within the segment she explored. Each step of the process to check the perimeter was relayed with particular care,  _I did this correctly, to procedure; the other searches might have been careless, the quiet pushing me to let our guards fall, but I was not rash, I was cautious. I did what I could with safety in mind but also expediency. See Headmaster? We checked the edge as a group, we made sure it was safe before splitting up so close to the boundary._

          The door clicked again, closing as the professor departed while Coco was drawing, but this time the sound did not elicit a pause.

          The next day caused Coco to hesitate. The next day was the fourth day, the third morning they woke up  _there._ The day, as leader, Coco realized they needed a real solution to food that would not be found in the village. The day she suggested, but as leader might as well have ordered, her team to leave the settlement they had come to expecting an infestation of grimm yet not seen a threatening indication of one.  _Four third-year students in the best academy in the world. Armed, cautious, was_ _it_ _an unreasonable idea to suggest?_ _A_ _short-sighted situation to lead her team into?_ She took a sip of the water.

"We kept in mind why we were on a mission at the settlement: a large number of grimm had accumulated in the area. We stayed close, within hearing distance even if the place had not been so utterly silent. We paired off for hunting ability and mixed strengths, ready for game or grimm."

Her fingernails hit the glass in hand once each in succession.

She swallowed air, waiting for the next words to come.

          She told him about about walking their half of the semi-circle back and forth, with nothing around. How it was quiet but smelled warm. How at each pass Fox and she would meet Yatsuhashi and Velvet, then start an arc farther out. She spoke about how nothing seemed to indicate anything to hunt, but that they might have missed something.

          The door opened. Coco's second hand found its way around the glass, her eyes drifting from the notebook to the water held in her lap. So meek had her posture turned, uncharacteristically, but she did not notice. Someone stepped into the room. The door closed. Coco raised the glass to her lips, and took another sip before resting it on the table, her gaze on the settling liquid.

"There was a sound, it traveled easily. A roar. Fox and I looked up toward where we would have expected the other two to be, and we saw sparks. We ran."

          Thorny underbrush, odd scraps suddenly taking notice, loud sounds, she filled several minutes with a description that lasted longer than it took to reach her teammates the first time.  _Had I missed something? I had, but would it have helped? Was there something I could have seen earlier? Can there be any value to that excursion at all?_

"Yatsuhashi and Velvet had made quick work of the boarbatusks, Fox and I helped with the beowolves. More grimm arrived and sprung, I can't recall how many. I sent my team into the clearing, covering with a spray of gunfire. I ran after them; they had been halted by a nevermore's feathers. The remaining grimm, ursai, behind me I left to my team as I lined up a shot to take out the nevermores. They were bigger, not by much, than the ones from last year's breach of Vale. In the clearing I could provide a wide spray, once it was safe from the birds I once again ordered retreat."

_           We regrouped at the first indication of a threat. I did not underestimate the threat, I ordered a retreat to a tactical advantage. I knew we we tired and hungry, I sent us back to safety via a tactically advantageous position with cover fire. I did not hesitate to call a retreat. But it was still not good enough. _

Coco took another sip of the water.

"One of the ursai got Yatsuhashi's back and threw him."

She heard the not-quite-masked intake of air from behind her. She saw the pen before her stop and be placed flat upon the page.

" I'm not sure when, I did n' t notice until later.  We retreated. I provided cover. The gate was already moving when I ran through, last."  _I was last. I accepted my duty to protect my team. I played the part of leader as assigned. I did everything I could, used what I'd learned._ "I looked at the clearing, ready to cut down anything that had followed. Nothing did, they remained within the cover of the trees."

          Coco told them about the barn, about getting sheets, about dressing Yatsuhashi's back as best they could. She then described what Fox and she had found in the administration building, the undamaged path, the closet, stairs, and door. She had long since broken the seal on this story that had held her back at first, now the words poured out, the events she kept replaying in her mind since they occurred, struggling to find some clue, some mistake, some reason or validation .

"The next day I had Velvet go with Fox to search the final section of the settlement for food. I thought Velvet needed a break. She seemed so refreshed after that walk she took while Fox and I re-bandaged Yatsuhashi. The sheet strips were damp, his shoulders sticky, and underneath the cuts were red. I told  him they were deep and healing. They hadn't been deep enough to get an organ. They weren't healing, and now they were red. Not with blood, nor scabs, it just looked - worse. He mostly seemed okay when we spoke with him, but a few things were off. He, he didn't"  _remember that cardboard was all we had to eat_ "recall for a moment, something, oh! When we'd last eaten any food.  W hen the others left we talked, mostly he wanted me to recount some of our adventures.  His aura had not done anything, but maybe more rest would help."  _It didn't. I didn't bring food and it wouldn't regenerate. There wasn't anything left in him to heal, not even like a person without aura, was there? What I did, though, I don't think it could have been helped. It wasn't avoidable, right? His body was getting worse, not better, not even stable._

"I left, exploring the area again. I just wanted to do something. I would look around for a bit, then go check on Yatsu. Look around, check on him. I found a residence between a warehouse and a factory, not far from the barn."  _an office? Don't be too specific. I hope it burned._ "I thought I might as well try my luck for a cellar, I know they are rare in settlements but the administration building had one. None of the other buildings had a hidden stairwell or door, but this one did."  _Lies_ "It was small, but there was something there. I pulled it out. It was a buck, not yet a year old, barely alive. It had likely not eaten for a week."  _Details are risky, stop. But I need details or else there will be questions._ "It wasn't moving, just barely breathing. I went to the kitchen for a knife and a pot."

"I told Yatsuhashi I found food. It had to cook though. I told him to keep sleeping, I would meet with the other two as planned then bring some back."

Coco drank another sip of water.

"I boiled it and waited. The other two found nothing. I told them to look some more after eating, especially for any cellars, and took two portions back to the barn. I woke up Yatsuhashi and got him to eat some."  _They are looking for details, details only I can provide. That is why Professor Goodwitch didn't leave again. That was why they were listening to the story a third time, not just for some minor detail that the others left out. Just enough detail to avoid questions, match it to what the others would have said but use different words._ "He mostly just drank the broth. Maybe with his stomach not hurting he could sleep better. Maybe the food would help his aura. He seemed tired, but we talked some more before he fell back asleep. I fell asleep soon after. When I woke up, he was dead."  _Why was there no more of the deer to take? Because it was small and likely ill. I took anything worth cutting off. Why did you set the barn alight? So whatever had happened to the village could not touch him any more._

Coco stopped, allowing the words to sink in, knowing that it was one of the few extra details she could add to what they had already heard. The door opened and shut.

"I set the barn alight and went to the house to wait for Fox and Velvet." she continued, her voice shaking. She drank more of the water. Coco spoke of that evening, said what she could of the basement search, some pieces still a blur. After the basement there was not much to tell.

 


	11. Day 9: P.M.

          Coco felt exhausted all over again, as though the sensations that gripped her body the past week pulled the energy she'd recovered from now back to that time. Recounting what had happened had been draining. The professor had returned her to the infirmary, and she now laid upon her bed. Even when the story flowed easily, the details had continued to eluded her, and now she felt a weight from each word she'd spoken, each moment she'd relived in telling. It had not been long but it all felt like another world, long ago, and a dream where no details had existed even at the start.

          Just as sleep was about to take her, food was held by her head. Coco pushed it away, aiming to say 'later' but a groan is all the sound that left her lips. The plate was unrelenting, a hand pushed her body to roll over so that it could sit up. The plate was put before her again, the fork in her hand, and the implication that she would not be allowed to rest until she ate was apparent. She made short work of clearing it, her hunger rearing its demands once presented with the opportunity.

          Coco was awoken, what may have been hours later but was still too soon. Sunlight still shone into the room, but not as brightly. _It must be afternoon, then? Certainly not a new day._ A hand on her shoulder squeezed again, someone nearby spoke her name softly.

"It's time to answer some questions for Vale's military. Come on, it needn't be terribly long."

 

* * *

 

          Coco, Velvet, and Fox sat on a long side of an oval table. At either short end sat Professor Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin. Across from the students were three men in well-decorated military uniforms, the least flashy of which was already writing quickly in a full-sized notebook and had a scroll recording in front of him.

"I know the three of you have already given your reports to your headmaster, but one last time I need you to go over your mission. I read through some of the documents you brought back this morning and I have a team pouring over them right now. " The man in the middle, most likely the highest ranked, signaled the beginning of this interview with a paltry prompt.

          Velvet began with the messages that prompted the mission and the details that were given to the team. This was met with some signs of impatience. She continued through the landing, describing the damage on the buildings, before Headmaster Ozpin interrupted her.

"I think the commander would be fine with a quick run-through, and can request more detail for specific events."

          Fox picked it up from there, Velvet flustered from misinterpreting the prompt. The administration building, the tower, the empty houses . . . some detail was asked about what empty and quiet meant, which Coco filled in. This retelling was similar to her private one, with different words from different mouths. Faster this time, most details left out entirely, the three students took turns, interrupting when a teammate seemed to be too thorough or was thought to have skipped something. The headmaster would occasionally interject a detail that he found important, or simply state the next event to have occurred effectively skipping a section.

"We were all hungry, so when the suggestion was made to try hunting outside the settlement it was easily agreed upon. We'd had such little luck in our searches." said Velvet, starting Wednesday. It would be the last she spoke for awhile. The commander's interest was casual at best, but the change in tactics she mentioned drew him in, sensing that they were getting closer to the actual information about what had happened at the settlement.

"I made the decision to try out there. We were careful, venturing farther from the gate and clearing gradually. We split into two pairs, but remained within hearing distance." continued Coco, her wording more defensive than she had intended.

          Fox picked it up from there, detailing the lack of sound and life far more than the military representatives cared to hear. Headmaster Ozpin only interrupted when Fox got to the point where the four were reunited.

"Miss Adel, did you say you saw something while you were running?"

"Yes, sir." Coco replied.

"Colors? You said it might have been fabric, and you tripped over something?"

"Yes sir. It appeared to be bones, not quite clean."

          Fox looked to Coco before he listed the grimm. There was some uncertainty in the numbers, but the commander finally seemed interested in details, size more-so than the count.

"After we closed the gate is when we realized our fourth team member had been injured." Fox finished the encounter, which took a long time to go through with the questions regarding the grimm and how they would not enter the clearing.

"They then found a shelter and dressed the wounds as best they could. It was still fairly early in the day, but the grimm had not been heard attacking the gate, so they split up again. Velvet stayed with Yatsuhashi while Fox and Coco went to try fixing the communication tower for a long-distance signal." The headmaster stated this, indicating to the group that this interview was not interested in what they would personally have found most important.

          Fox was the one to describe following the wiring, Coco took up the explanation of why they did not open the door. She was about to continue with the rest of the night when the commander attempted to guide the conversation to his interests.

"I understand that you did explore it, when was that?"

"The day after the next, Friday." answered Headmaster Ozpin for the students.

          Velvet jumped on the chance, and began to describe the long room and conference room to the military officers. The commander did not protest the skip. Coco looked to Fox to start with the description of the manual and communication sabotage. Here every detail imaginable was inquired after, pushing the limits of the trio's recollection. Finally, the commander leaned back, begrudgingly accepting there were no more details to obtain here.

"I suppose I owe you some information in exchange. Please give me a moment." The uniformed man stood, with a motion that the other two should say, and left the room looking at his scroll.

          Professor Goodwitch passed around glasses of water. The wait was not long, perhaps five minutes before the man returned to the room, but remained standing behind his chair.

"Although we are still working through the details and will need to send a team to the site, there are some pieces to this puzzle that have emerged consistently. It seems there was an experiment taking place, we have not yet ascertained the purpose yet. I am not sure how that relates to the majority of the settlement, but it does seem possible that the evacuation order originated from that basement. So far we have found nothing to suggest that the communication was damaged on accident, nor anything regarding how the basement was created. The settlement, by calculation, would have been woefully short on supplies, and although it has been reported that hunts would take place to supplement food we doubt that was an option given your accounts. We suspect that the residents found themselves in a similar situation to you, finding food from unlikely sources, yet it seems odd that the situation would have deteriorated so quickly in three days that no request for supplies would have been sent. I believe that is all I have for now, so I shall be taking my leave. Thank you for your cooperation, I shall keep your headmaster updated on the situation."

          The other two men stood, and the headmaster showed the three guests out, the professor behind them. They were likely just saying their own farewells, on more familiar terms. It seems the headmaster was to escort the visitors to their ship, as it was only Professor Goodwitch that returned minutes later to take the students back to the infirmary.

"Just for tonight, you'll be released to return to your room tomorrow." promised their guide.

          Coco did not sleep, although she was left alone. The events of the past week were on repeat, despite recounting it twice. Dinner had seemed small, but she knew her body would reject anything larger, it was no longer familiar with eating regularly although that would likely be remedied in another day. 


	12. Days 10 - 12

\--------------------Day 10: Tuesday--------------------

          The room was just how they had left it: tidy, but the bed with part of the comforter rolled under a sheet and slightly askew demonstrated the lack of precision  throughout . Each of the four desks had different levels of piled schoolbooks and notes; Yatsuhashi's had an outline for a paper pinned to a closed text with a paperweight.  This room was to be their refuge  _and prison_ for the  remainder of the  week. Professor Goodwitch had explained that meals would be taken to their room through Sunday night, so that they could have peace from other students if they desired, until they were to return to classes. They would be a week behind, having prepared to only be gone for one.

          Coco opened the window and breathed deeply. The fresh air was tainted with smells from the kitchen, iron from the overnight rain, and sounds of life - indistinguishable voices intermixed with the hum of technology. Her bedspread was crumpled, she had laid upon it for the last two hours, but unable to stop her eyes from studying the room she found the air difficult to breathe.  _Lunch will be here soon, then we will start the report. 'I know it is soon, but I expect to have your report tomorrow. It needs to be written before too much is forgotten, as always.' the headmaster told us when he brought Professor Goodwitch to see us this morning, before she escorted us to this suffocating room._

          Velvet typed quickly, as Coco and Fox spoke details out-loud. Even when they paused , her fingers continued to write the draft using her own memories filling in the gaps. She vocalized a few of her own recollections after typing them out , to be certain the others agreed and could add detail s if they came to mind. This was the draft, just to get the ideas out, not much different than an initial return interview. Next, Coco and Velvet would look over Fox's should ler as he reorganized the recollections into  something with a purpose, a report.  _Usually it would have been the four of us each taking from the draft and forming different sections, all working together at a group of four computers in the library._

          Finally, Coco took the keyboard and polished the report by reading through it for consistency and language errors while the other two tried to check it over her shoulder, although struggled to keep up.  _I pull it all together. I'm the leader, I make sure what we present is of one mind. I think we can skip having the others' review my work for grammar and wrong-words, this whole thing is rushed just to be done with it anyway. Sure interviews and reports were part of every mission, but this one just seemed so taxing. Consistency. But without using the same words, there needs to be some minor variation._ Recollection of Sundays past talking loudly in the library, Yatsuhashi acting out scenes with Velvet not unlike Professor Port, laughing even, rested on her back as she ate dinner with her team in silence.  _It seems Velvet has figured out that pleasant conversation is a chore? Or maybe she is recalling the same reports we once wrote,_ all _together._

 

* * *

\---------------Day 11: Wednesday-------------

          Coco had given her team the morning to rest,  her own night comprised of  restless  fits and starts,  but after the second meal came she sent the report electronically to the headmaster and her two teammates.  _Not the proper way to do it, but I have no intention of finding a printer and it works._ Minutes later she led the other two to Headmaster Ozpin's office, reports were not merely  an exercise in writing but had to be presented as well .

          Headmaster Ozpin put down his print-out of the report and slid it to the side of his desk.  The three students across from him closed their scrolls, the one in the middle stood up to leave first .

"Wait a moment. I have some information from the military." he began. Coco sat down as requested, already more mentally present in the conversation than she'd been while they  presented the report.

" Although  some details will not be  released  to us, they have an idea of what had been going on, specifically the aim of the experiment." The headmaster placed his elbows on the table, fingers intertwined , with his upper back rounded to rest his chin upon the construct. "The y believe the scientists, likely from Atlas or funded through their military as you  have  probably surmise d , were attempting to study the grimm by discovering how to create them. "

He paused to allow the idea to permeate  through the barrier of the unthinkable . It was met with two sharp intakes of air and silence, although the team leader only displayed a pensive expression before asking one simple question: "How?"

Here, Headmaster Ozpin lowered his gaze to the table in a brief show of disgust. "Grimm are known to spawn from and be attracted to negative emotions, tasked with destroying them. These . . .  _people_ . . . were attempting to create creatures of grimm by extinguishing the light of human or faunus subjects without killing them." His eyes closed as he took a deep breath, the information unsettling for him, the mere mention of the existence of such an idea paining the headmaster.

Velvet's eyes were wide with horror, her mouth open, but her darting eyes unable to pick out just one of the many thoughts racing through her head resulting in not one being expressed.  Fox was able to pick one, but not complete the thought, and spoke it with hushed consternation, "That's horrible. So they really used . . ."

Coco swallowed her initial reaction, her face stoic as her gaze pierced the headmaster's mug. "Did they succeed?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, possibly not intended for anyone but herself, nearly unheard amongst the ticking of decorative gears. Yet the question was spoke out loud, and was heard.

"It does not seem so.  You had mentioned the lack of ruts in the road, which suggests that it was not grimm within the walls that chased the residents out.  The original group were criminals, whose records have them leaving to repent with difficult jobs but never listed on the census reports the settlement se n t to Vale. They suspect others were taken from the village, for getting too close or being easy to have disappear. As a consequence of the . . . _things_ being done, grimm were attracted to the area. The treatment at that time was escalating, and soon the subj-  _people_ were dieing. "

"There is some speculation as to why the grimm soon avoided the settlement but continued to remain close. One theory is that the defenses discouraged the grimm , who  then  chose to wait instead of die at the wall . A nother , considered that the y may have been afraid, although that goes against modern assumptions and observations of grimm. The third was based on old, out-dated grimm protection superstition, that removing life satiates the grimm's need to see our light extinguished. None of the theories seemed reasonable, however , so they are still searching for a reasonable  explanation. "

_The suspicious safety of the wall, I let it take down my caution and abused its benefit._

The headmaster sipped his coffee, and pulled his composure from the lethargy his voice had stumbled into. "It was confirmed that the last food shipment was two weeks prior to the first message sent for assistance.  The residents did not have means for their own  subsistence apart from regular hunts that would have been impossible with the grimm that had appeared. The military has yet to find an explanation as to why there was no request for supplies, but if the people there had taken the same steps you three did it would explain the strange pattern of missing stock. I suspect that the situation the settlement experienced was worse than described at every step in the lead-up to the acceptance and assignment of the mission . There was a log found of contingency plans, one of which was acknowledging the existence of the laboratory as a weapon development site and ordering an evacuation on the grounds of a toxic gas being leaked. It is suspected that this was what happened, triggered by hunger, fighting, or even discovery of the lab, perhaps when the communication was cut."

_He died because we fell to the same fate. I didn't question the lack of messages. I didn't ask our transport to stay close. I took too long to realize how dire the situation was when the signs were there before we even arrived._

"There are extermination teams looking for where the settlers could be if evacuation did occur, but no one has been located yet, although it is still early."

_He died for people that fled to their own deaths, with help on the way. I put my team through that hell for people too scared to think. They perished for a lie, and I followed it too, sending my team with them._

"They asked for help, were sent it, but fled and died before receiving it." Coco was not sure if it was a question or a statement. It summarized the events concisely, but that alone would not justify giving the words voice. The implications of what she had learned were struggling to both sink in and be discarded, her words seeking confirmation that she dearly hoped would be refuted. Her eyes saw only color, the desk  became simple browns and greys as her focus retreated from the material world into her thoughts.

"There was nothing that could be done. From what I've heard in the interviews and your report, you and your team did everything that could be expected of you. You did your best. It is unlikely anyone else could have fared better."

_I doubt that. There was a mistake, somewhere. There had to be mistakes. I accepted the mission. I packed insufficiently. I was the leader, am the leader. I led my team there. I led them in and yet only two left._

"The communication was controlled by the people involved in the experiment." Fox concluded in the silence that had fallen while the headmaster sought some hint of recognition from Coco.

_If I had not suggested cardboard, and just waited we could have been okay. If we'd just saved our energy and stayed inside the walls we could and survived on just water. We might have grown dull but we'd all be here right now._

"Then it could have been intentional that no requests for food or mentions of the evacuation we re sent?" asked Velvet, following Fox's train of thought.

"There are implications suggesting that." affirmed Headmaster Ozpin.

"Then, does that mean there were no "what ifs"? That the events were controlled by  specific  people and unlikely to have been  allowed another path ?" Velvet's mind was now turning, searching for some explanation not yet pieced together.

"They are presumed dead as well ."

"They fated themselves to death? But why?"

"We might never understand it fully, but it is an explanation that would tie up the loose ends."

"What you are suggesting is that the mission was doomed from the start. The goal was for nothing to leave those walls. It was a trap." Coco's morose  words cut through Velvet's innocent search for answers and the headmaster's skillful responses attempting to side-step the very case that Coco laid bare. She had trapped the headmaster, forcing him into a position where he had to agree, or admit there was something that could have been done to prevent it all , something she should have foreseen and acted upon to protect her team .

"I'm sorry, too much is still  un known at this point. We should not allow ourselves to settle upon any conclusions until the situation has been fully investigated ." Headmaster Ozpin quickly attempted to break  out of the snare by moving away completely.

Coco stood, unconvinced. "Thank you for sharing your information." Her head bowed respectfully, disguising that her eyes would not meet his. She left before any note of whether the other two followed could reach her. She was laying in her bed, her mind already fading into partial sleep when the other two returned, having stayed after she had taken leave. Rest was fleeting, interrupted by nightmares of reality, or were they just recollections not settling enough to allow her to fade into sleep?

 

 

* * *

\---------------Day 1 2 :  Thursday \-------------

          Memories began to blur once again, not from hunger but now  caused by sporadic sleep. Unlike Fox, Coco found herself unable to start making up classwork, or even stare at a book and pretend like Velvet did for two hours.  _ Maybe I've been  _ _ laying in bed _ _ too much to sleep properly now. What's that sound?  _ Fox was taking a nap, but the team's bathroom was occupied by Velvet, yet water was not the only sound emanating from the closed door.  _ Is she crying?  _ _ Oh, Thursday. It has been one week. One week. He died a week ago, and we just left him.  _ The reality hit her once again.  Coco wanted to scream, to break things, to shed her own tears, but she couldn't; to do so would be to admit it was real. To acknowledge to herself that what she had done was real, and to relive it.

 


	13. End

tick

tick

tick

Hands jerked around a circle as gears were pushed by a small battery in the wall clock.

20-46

20-47

20-48

          Almost twenty-one minutes had passed since she last heard any other stirring in the room; her two teammates' breathing even, without the slightest hitch, likely in REM from the lack of turning. She had long since lost track of what time it was, but the counting had kept her own breathing from hitching, her thoughts away from sleep, away from the nightmares haunting her whenever she lost count or dared to not focus intently on something else.  _I already lived them once. Is that not enough? They haunt me yet details keep changing, morphing into fictional horrors despite the frequent recollections. The only pieces that seem to fade are the details made more dreadful by absence._

21-34

21-35

21-36

          Coco murmured a quiet sound of sleep and slowly pulled her feet from her sheets.  _Just going to the bathroom._ Her bare feet brushed the floor, then quickly pulled back up.  _My scroll is off, tucked under my pillow._ The thought glanced through her mind, fleeting and without reason, as her fingertips found the door.

          Legs carried those bare feet to the floor's shared guest restroom, pausing with one foot to the door and the other pointed down the hallway. Twisting, she looked from where she came, there was no sound of voices, no patter of feet, and not a single creak of a door.

          Pausing no more, she pivoted, facing her original direction, and took off, her bare feet lightly bouncing with each strike to the floor with scarcely a noise. A sharp turn, a small passageway between buildings, stairs, and she stopped short in a corridor whose open doors offered glimpses of classrooms.

          She had barely eaten since first gorging herself upon returning to the school, but just in case she used the lavatory before continuing to the classroom used for sparring. Using her toes she lifted the door stop and let the door close behind her, heedless of the relief her subconscious felt towards its mechanism for closing quietly. Leisurely, she strolled down the stairs to the stage as she attempted to pick out details of the room unnoticed in her two-and-a-half years as a student.

_It feels so distant, the last time I was in this building, the last time I attended a class. Not even a fortnight. Oh._ Her attention held on a sword mounted between two screens that adorned the wall backing the stage.  _Yatsuhashi . . . That will work. Mine would not be . . . effective._

          It was not a full minute before she was standing where she had been, now holding her fallen teammates' sword. She had held it before, but despite it feeling heavy, it was lighter than she had anticipated. It was turned over a few times before she took a step toward the nearest seats.

          A door creaked, from the other top entrance to the room; framed in the hall light was a figure, a silhouette that could only be Fox.

_What is he doing here?! He was sleeping! I waited, and counted, and bid my time. Let me go, I brought you back to Beacon. I gave a full report, interviewed, what more do you need of me?!_

"Wait." said Fox, a soft volume traveling audible through the room. The door closed behind him as he stepped forward, two sections down. "Coco, please," he began, she looked ready to spit when he spoke her name. "Will you just do one more thing for me? Don't leave me, take me with you."

          She glared at him, until his last words took her off guard.  _Selfish, can't you do anything for yourselves? Yes I was - am leader, but you all wanted to be hunters just the same. 'Take me with you'?_ Those last words echoed slowly through her mind.  _What - why? Fox?_

"Fox, why? What about Velvet, we cannot leave her alone."

"She is stronger than you might expect."

"Yatsuhashi told us that." the handle of the blade shifted in her hand.

"I know. Coco, I know. She does not, but I figured out what you did. You can't leave me here with her, alone. We both know she can never know, but if she ever were to ask, I - I do not think I could lie, my silence might be enough."

"She is smart, and strong, but chooses to only see the pure and good. She will not ask."

"No? Never? Not even after you are, done?" Fox seemed to struggle with that final word, they both knew what it was, yet neither were going to speak it.

"Why are you here?" she asked, not wanting to consider Yatsuhashi's partner ever finding that question.  _Never, right? It will all be okay, she will never ask, and never know._

"I knew better than to sleep at night. I have not since our return. I slept during the day, when other people might notice you leaving. I don't blame you. I just, I just cannot stand the thought of being left alone with her. I can't face that."

"Why me? Do it yourself."  _Please not again. Why? Is this why you have avoided looking at me, avoided speaking to me?_ _Don't, please._

Fox was standing just before the stage now, never breaking eye contact with his leader, his partner. "I can't. I do not want it like you. I simply do not want to be left alone, with her. With you we can protect her, don't leave me alone with her, if you leave then perhaps all knowledge of what happened must as well."

"I did it for you, both of you." she said, her voice starting to feel weak. "I did what I had to to bring you both back here. Don't - don't make it in vain."  _Are you really asking me? Don't ask. Please. Don't make me choose._

"You did. I know why. I will never place blame on you. You- we brought back that sword, we brought back the tale of what happened. We will all live on in that. Velvet -" at her name Fox paused. Coco knew why, her own thoughts echoing his:  _Could she take finding out come morning? Would it break her more than protect her?_

"She is alive. She can live." he continued. "You did your best. We made it back. You did everything you could, everything you had to, everything expected of a leader and more."

_Can. Fox said 'can live'. He knows she might not survive this - this thing he is asking of me. HAVE I NOT GIVEN YOU ENOUGH?!! Why was I leader, why is everything up to me?_ Coco wanted nothing more than to fall to her knees.  _But I am the team leader. I cannot do that. I have to stand here and be leader. Why Fox? Why could you not have given me one moment without that?_

"Why?" was all she could ask in response.

"Because I know your why. Because I cannot offer you reason to not leave, but I dearly wish to not sully your purpose in doing so. That is why I ask that you take me with you, if you are unwilling to stay." Fox replied solemnly as he stepped onto the stage. Two paces brought him to the tip of the sword, the blade that had proven unable to protect their teammate.

_Must I?_

Fox bent, plucking the point from the floor with calloused fingertips and standing back up, letting his light touch hold it aimed between his ribs as Coco bore the weight of the large weapon. "Coco," he began, one last time as his eyes struggled to pull her gaze to his, "if you will not stay here with me, then please take me with you."

"Love" mumbled Coco in a whisper.  _Only because I love you, and Velvet, and Yatsuhashi._ "That is the only reason I will accept this request." she continued, her voice still hushed to the echoing room but clearer. "It is not fair, for you to ask this of me."

Her eyes finally met his, "I shall comply, not as a team leader, but as a friend. I stopped being a leader the moment we boarded that transport." she searched his face for understanding, "I pretended for the interviews, but it was gone. My willingness to do anything for you three, love, is the only the only reason I will not deny this unfair request."

"Fox, you were a great partner."

"Thank you." he said clearly, Coco's weight leaning into the blade. Not until his words were out clearly did she push with her strength. The metal bade was cool, cutting in swiftly as Fox's face stubbornly held a smile and her gaze.

The sword curved down with Fox's descent. The tip tapped the floor, and he slid down the shaft, softly hitting the floor.

_Why are my eyes threatening to cry? I get to take him with me now, I won't be alone._

Her own smile looked down upon his.

_But Velvet will be._ _But she will never know why. No one will know why._

She lifted the sword from his body, and carefully secured the hilt between two seats, adjusted for her height.

          Aiming the blade's sharp promise of release similarly to how Fox had done the same, she used her legs to push the floor as though she were jumping to a rooftop, the warm, wet blade sinking past her own ribcage through her back.

          Coco's hands reached forward, first pulling the barrier that encircled the stage closer, the sword father in, then grasping the blade itself, the metal biting her palms, as she pushed herself off, assisting with her feet against the wall.

_He shall not be the only one with the benefit of rapid blood loss._ _Eventually_ _our_ _auras_ _will_ _be irrepressible, but by then it_ _will_ _be too late._

With a thud she fell beside her friend, her head turned toward his, their smiles matching.

_I kept my promise Yatsuhashi, the rest of us returned to Beacon, if only briefly._

tick

tick

tick

_I did not know there was a clock in here. I never did check the time._

3-24

3-25

3-26

 

* * *

 

(Syllable count from RLR2 at 00:36)

 

Black like roses fills my sights

This nightmare stops tonight

I did what was required of me

But that was not what I could live with

 

Red like roses

From the hole cut, pools around me

Cut through my chest

The hole reflecting what's inside

My soul now mirrored by my body

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I wrote Coco as a person that needs to be in control, yet never quite expected to be leader and despite having almost three years of practice still had difficulty assuming the responsibility of the role.  
> *I did not know Fox would die until I started writing the ending.  
> *Coco never left the settlement, she died with Yatsuhashi but continued to exist for her remaining teammates; she gave her life to save her team, the two that remained, solely to keep her promise to Yatsuhashi after granting his wish.  
> *The love is platonic, in case that was not blatantly clear.  
> *The count being at three minutes is to suggest that Fox lived long enough to watch her fall beside him, and they had some time of staring at each other; they both died sure that only Velvet was left of the team.  
> *End takes place sometime between the night of the 12th day (Thursday) and super-early morning of the next day (Friday).
> 
>  
> 
> *I would like feedback in writing style, as well as any wrong word or grammar errors.  
> *This story came about from an /r/RWBY prompt to try, as a writer, to torture a character. (Some works just throw everything imaginable at a character and never give them a break.) I took it a step farther, "to destroy a character". I started with a vague idea of the ending, and worked backwards to find what would cause it.


End file.
